Push and Pull
by hmmille
Summary: Bella stands up for herself when Edward tries to leave. Offering him something that no one else can, they now face a new adversary in a surprising newborn with a strange ability. How far will they go to tear them apart? AU
1. Chapter 1

**Push and Pull**

New Moon AU where Bella stands up to Edward when he tries to leave her. Told in first person POV with changing characters, but no repetition of scenes. No infringement intended. Thanks for reading, and thanks to my prereader Erikasbuddy and my beta OnePushyFox.

_Summary:_

_Bella stands up for herself when Edward tries to leave. Offering him something that no one else can, they now face a new adversary in a surprising newborn with a strange ability. How far will they go to tear them apart? AU Bella x Edward M_

**Chapter 1**

**Edward POV**

My entire existence changed the second that James attacked Bella. I was forced to remove the venom that was infecting her through the most simple and agonizing way possible. With each slow pull from Bella's pale arm, my control was waning. This was the most exquisite blood I'd ever tasted, even tainted by James' vitriol and venom. I didn't want to stop, but somehow I found the strength. I wanted my Bella alive, and more importantly, she must remain human.

After Bella's recovery, I tried to act like nothing was different. She needed me in new ways every day, beyond the expectations of protection and companionship a normal man should provide. But every minute I was in the presence of this fragile woman, the thin thread of control I had was fraying.

My thinly veiled façade of control was never breached. Who knew that Bella's eighteenth birthday would signal another upheaval in my carefully constructed world? A millisecond after she cut her finger on a beautifully wrapped birthday present, the most intoxicatingly wonderful bouquet flooded my senses. The next moment, I flung Bella into the table occupied by dishes, her own birthday cake, and presents. Another blink of an eye later, I fought Jasper with all that I had, just to keep the reason for my continuing existence alive.

I began to formulate my plan while I drove Bella home in her rusty old truck. She practically begged me to stay the night with her, and on a normal night, I would have with little protest. I relented only after she used the "It's my birthday" excuse. By this point in time, I was close to making up my mind, I just needed to decide how I was going to execute my plan with minimal damage to her fragile soul.

As a final birthday wish, Bella wanted a kiss. I'd always had clearly drawn boundaries for us so she wouldn't be physically hurt. Those restrictions went out the window since I knew this would be our last kiss. It started out slow, but I couldn't hide my need when she eagerly responded. As Bella crushed her warm body to mine, our kiss became more urgent. I held her close, my hand entwining with her hair as I held her face to mine. A small moan escaped her lips as she pulled away slightly to take a breath. She wound her slender hands around my neck as she pushed her mouth to mine again hungrily.

Realizing the tight control I had was slipping, I gently pushed her away. Gasping for air, we both knew that the carefully constructed lines had been crossed. She greedily asked for more, but I declined due to my now imminent self-control issues. We sagged against her hard mattress, choosing to remain silent for a few moments.

When she turned towards me, I could tell by the darkness in her eyes that Bella wasn't ready to let it go. She pushed the issue by asking me if I wanted her body or blood more at that moment. I honestly answered that I wanted them both equally. I'd never been so relieved than when she finally dropped the subject and snuggled into me, allowing sleep to find her.

I couldn't act as though nothing had happened, though. Bella blamed herself for this entire situation when it was completely my fault. I shouldn't have started this reckless relationship and irresponsibly let it continue. There couldn't possibly be a happy ending for a beautiful, brown eyed human and a soulless vampire.

The next day, I found myself acting cold and distant around her. Sensing her confusion and fear, I was thankful for the first time that I can't read her mind. I didn't want to know if she sensed my withdrawal from her, because I already felt guilty enough for starting all of this.

After several days of slowly pulling away from her, I met Bella at her house after school. A walk in the forest was my ruse. I tried to convince myself that I was fully prepared to leave her; it was the only way I knew to protect her. If I was no longer in her life, she would not be in danger. In my mind it was pretty cut and dry.

I had imagined how everything would play out. Bella would be somber and tears would be shed, but she'd get over me quickly, as most humans get over such matters. However, things did not go exactly as I'd planned that day.

"Let's go for a walk in the woods, Bella," I said flatly as I offered her my hand. I could sense her hesitation as she placed her soft, warm hand in mine. I practically had to pull her into the forest as she drug her feet. We stopped walking just inside of the tree line; I didn't want her to be too far from home when I broke the news. There were creatures more dangerous than my family roaming the woods.

"Talk to me, please," Bella plead, looking downward as she did. She knew what something was amiss, even if she couldn't quite put her finger on the specifics.

"Bella, we're leaving. People are starting to get suspicious, starting to notice that Carlisle looks much younger than he should be now," I lied. It was unsettling how easily the lie escaped my lips.

"I'll have to think of something to tell Charlie. Are you sure we can't wait until the school year is over?" she innocently asked, clearly not getting the intent of my words.

"Bella, my family and I are leaving." I stared at her without showing any emotion, even though it felt like my insides were being ripped out of me through a pinhole with tweezers.

"Oh," Bella said quietly, her lower lip starting to quiver. "I see."

"You're not good for me, and God knows, I'm not good for you," I simply stated. This was actually the truth, not just a lie to make her believe that I should leave. She made me want to be human so bad. And in turn, I made her want to be a damned vampire.

"I—I don't believe you. You're just trying to protect me," Bella screamed, clenching both of her hands tightly to her stomach. She'd never raised her voice in anger like this before, and it momentarily stunned me.

"We don't belong in the same world, it's too hard to keep you safe." Bella just stared at the ground, as if what I was saying wasn't registering into her consciousness.

"You've been living in my world quite successfully for many years now. I don't think that gives me a fair chance at trying to live in yours. I've only had a few months to try. And you wouldn't have to worry about my safety if you would just change me already."

I needed to change the direction of this risky conversation, take control to steer it back to the way that I wanted it to go. "Can I ask a favor?" I said hesitantly, expecting to not be granted this wish.

Bella stared straight into my eyes, answering with a desperate sounding, "Anything."

I returned the pleading gaze from her chocolate eyes, asking her not to endanger herself while I was away.

"I can't promise you that. You don't have to leave just because Jasper couldn't control himself. Send him away," Bella spoke quickly with force, sounding like a spoiled little child.

"How would that be fair to Alice, Bella? It doesn't matter anyway, Jasper and Alice have already left."

Bella shook her head back and forth. "How is it fair that you're willing to abandon me, no questions asked? And what about Alice? She's losing me too."

She had a good point. I realized that this wasn't fair to anyone. "I guess I didn't think of it that way," I admitted, averting my eyes downward.

"You've always treated me like a disinterested party in this relationship. I've never been an equal partner or had a say in any important decisions." Bella's eyes were starting to glisten with tears, but I could see the sparks of anger just under the surface.

She reached up and jerked my chin forward, forcing me to hold her gaze. I wasn't expecting her to react so physically. Her behavior was so unexpected that I allowed her to manhandle me.

"To answer the favor you so selfishly want me to grant you. If you leave me I will die, even if I have to do it myself. How does that make you feel?" She turned to leave and couldn't bear to see her walk away. Maybe it was better if she hated me? I would still feel eternally guilty, no matter what happened.

**Bella POV**

I don't know where the strength came from to be so brutally honest about my feelings. They manifested themselves both verbally and physically, bubbling up inside until the spilled over like a volcano. I wasn't stretching the truth when I said that I wouldn't live without Edward. He was my life, and it wasn't worth living if he wasn't present. Would I kill myself? I knew the answer to that was no, but the life I would have wouldn't be any kind of life worth enduring.

Apparently I'd used up that strength very quickly, so I decided to retreat. I turned to go, trying to keep my head held high as I moved one foot. I took one shaky step with my left leg onto some jagged rocks, immediately falling. Trying to catch myself with my right arm, a sharp pain pierced my hand as it slid along the rocks. I curled up on the ground, cradling my now bleeding hand to my chest.

While I remained on the cold ground, something inside of me snapped. It was like a pilot light was set ablaze, a flame that had one purpose: to fuel rage. I'd never felt like this before. I'd always been the adult, even when my age didn't reflect it, first to Renee, next to Charlie, and finally to Edward. I had always been agreeable—the even minded and dependable girl.

Edward reached out his hand to help me up, ever being the gentleman. Instead of reaching for his outstretched pale hand, I pushed his arm away. I didn't need the help of someone who could so easily throw me away. I confidently stood up, looked Edward in the eye before cocking my arm back and smacking his left cheek hard with my right hand. Then, the white hot pain shot through my hand from hitting such a hard, beautiful face. It was only after I saw Edward's posture change that I realized what I had just done.

Edward immediately shifted into a defensive crouch as I scrambled backwards. I'd placed my bloodied hand directly on his cheek and open mouth when I'd slapped him. I had unwittingly fed Edward my blood. He stayed perfectly still, and I could tell it was taking great effort to stay that way.

"Bella, you really need to go before something bad happens," Edward growled. His eyes quickly changed from amber color to black. His thirst started to take over, and I was in mortal danger. "I'm not sure how long I can control myself."

He remained perfectly still, not breathing or even batting an eyelash. Suddenly, Edward's cell phone rang from inside his coat pocket. I didn't see him move any part of his body, but he had somehow hit the speaker phone key.

"Edward, Edward? What have you done?" Alice pleaded from the speaker. "You haven't killed Bella, have you? Please tell me you haven't harmed her."

Edward didn't say a word. He was silently frozen in place, and I had to answer for him.

"Alice, I'm alive but I'm bleeding. I—I fell," I answered in a loud, shaky voice.

"The vision I just had is too terrible to describe. Edward, you have to calm down and stay away from Bella." Alice sounded frantic because she was too far away to help physically.

Edward hadn't moved out of his defensive crouch and it was up to me to calm him down before we both regretted the situation. "Edward, I'll back away slowly. It's the only way to make things a little more bearable."

He finally seemed to snap out of the trance that he was in, his eyes staring through me not as intensely—less like I was dinner. He finally spoke to Alice. "What you saw before, has your vision changed?"

"Yes, Edward. Now I see you getting Bella safely home with a bandage on her hand. You take her to the hospital," Alice was giving commands now, and it was up to Edward would comply.

"I can't be around her, not with her bleeding like this."

"I'll find my own way," I hissed. "You were so eager to toss me aside like trash a few minutes ago, so you don't have any obligation to help me anymore."

Alice was still on the line, her vampire hearing allowing her to catch everything that was said. "Edward, what have you been doing? What is Bella talking about?"

"You're the one, dear sister, who can see the future. You didn't see me break up with Bella for her own good? Or did I decide much too quickly for you to sense it?" He almost seemed amused that Alice hadn't seen this coming. I'd bet that he knew that she'd have tried to stop him if she had seen this scenario.

"We can argue about this later. Take her to the hospital now. Just deal with the smell. I have faith in you," Alice optimistically said. "Besides, if you harm Bella in any way, you'll have me to deal with for eternity. I consider her my sister."

Edward slowly reached into his pocket, ending the call with a quick press of a button. His eyes were two dark, black pools, and that worried me greatly.

At least I have Alice on my side, I thought as my hand started to throb. "I really need to get this taken care of." I started to walk out of the forest, thankful that Edward had not led me very far into the trees. He followed behind me by about ten feet, not wanting to get any closer to the walking wounded. All of this happened because I decided to put up a fight and not accept what someone was trying to do to me.

We drove to the hospital in complete silence, Edward noticeably holding his breath while I cradled my hand to my chest inside of my coat and pressed my own shirt into the wound, trying to stem the flow of blood. The heater was on full blast while the windows of the Volvo were down, blowing my hair around as we sped down the road. To add further hurt to my already bruised ego, Edward dropped me off in front of the doors and waited outside while I was stitched up in the emergency room. The only bright spot was that I was eighteen now. Charlie didn't have to be notified, and that was one less thing to worry about.

When I exited through the sliding glass doors of the emergency room, Edward quickly and soundlessly joined me, placing his cell phone in his jacket pocket. Hopefully he had been speaking with Alice because she was the only one who could talk some sense into him at the moment. He opened the car door for me, still not looking me in the eyes.

We pulled away, this time with the heat blowing at a more reasonable speed and with the tinted windows closed tightly. After driving for a few minutes, the silence and pressure of the unknown started to crush down on me. I decided to be blunt. "Edward, where do we stand?"

He finally glanced towards me, and broke his silence. "I still feel that if we stay, you're in danger. Every second of every day. You know of our existence. How long will it be until an episode like your birthday is successful in getting you killed? Or another nomadic vampire catches wind of you like James did?"

"I have you to protect me, and Alice too. I feel I've become a part of your family whether you believe so or not." He needed to know that this wasn't only about him, several other people were involved as well. It wasn't right for Edward to make decisions based solely on his own selfish reasons. I especially wanted to point this out since I now knew where Alice stood in all of this, and she was firmly on my side.

"I don't think it's enough, especially since I'm the one you're going to need protection from. One untainted taste of your blood, Bella. That's all it's taken to make my control shatter."

"You seem fine now. I trust you. You can control this," I said smoothly.

Edward smiled, and I would be lying if I said he didn't look a little crazed. He let out a small sigh before becoming stone faced again. This was obviously going to be a mostly one sided conversation, so I started forming a plan of my own to keep us together.

"Remember my birthday, when I asked you what tempted you more, my blood or my body?" Edward's jaw tightened before he nodded. "You said it was a tie. What if you can have both?"

Edward immediately responded "I can't have either and have you remain human. If I take your blood, I kill your body. You won't exist anymore, Bella."

I continued undeterred. "I think we can have it both ways. You can have my blood, and we can have each other."

"It's not what we do Bella, we don't prey on humans. It's not an option." Edward sounded exasperated, but I could detect the slight hint of interest as well. "Besides, it would be a one-time deal—ending with you dead."

"You've drunk my blood twice now, Edward. Am I dead yet?" I knew he couldn't refute this statement since I was very much alive, and it was certainly due to Edward's extraordinary efforts when James had attacked me.

We pulled into my driveway. Thankfully Charlie worked late tonight, and hopefully, he wouldn't find out I had been to the hospital. I turned towards Edward, staring into his eyes brightened by the interior lights of the car. It was then that I saw a faint red ring around the dark irises that gazed back at me with hunger and longing.

"We won't be leaving. I spoke with Carlisle when you were in the emergency room. He doesn't think it's a good idea for us to leave so hastily."

"Good, so you'll be picking me up for school tomorrow?" I asked, but my tone made it more of an instruction than a question.

"Um, yes, I'll be here," Edward answered mechanically.

"Remember what I said. You can have all of me. I won't be in danger. Think about it." I walked into my house, wondering where this confidence had come from. But then I decided that I didn't care what had caused it, because I liked myself better this way. And more importantly, I won't let Edward make all the decisions from now on.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N. Big thanks to my betas Erikasbuddy and OnePushyFox. Love you ladies. Visit the Push and Pull Blog for teasers of the next chapter on Wednesdays. http:/callofdutywidowfiction(dot)blogspot(dot)com **

EPOV

What just happened a few agonizing hours ago? I've been driving aimlessly down isolated tree lined roads, trying to find reason in Bella's behavior. The closest to a rational answer I could find is temporary insanity. Never did I expect this turn of events when I decided to leave Bella for her own good. I certainly didn't anticipate an accidental force feeding of her blood. Now I'm stuck in Forks with no plans to leave and a very complicated situation awaiting me, with both my family and my girlfriend. Turning my cell phone off so I could be truly alone with my thoughts was not a good decision. As well as I knew my family, they were trying to contact me.

Making an abrupt U-turn, the high performance tires of my car screeched on the asphalt of the mountain road. I reluctantly headed for my home; the wrath of my family could not wait any longer. Luckily for me, Alice and Jasper were in Alaska to allow for his recovery after the birthday incident. I would bet anything that Alice was already on her way home to Forks. The respite I was getting from her would be short lived. And I knew that she would be furious with me for trying to leave her best friend.

Turning right, I navigated onto the tree lined driveway, twisting through the dense, coniferous forest to our home. Spotting the two story house usually made me feel instantly at peace, but tonight I only felt anxiety. It was the only isolated place we could be ourselves without the vexation of discovery. I was worried what my family would discover about me. Would they realize that I loved every drop Bella had sacrificed to me? I was certainly anxious to get more.

As I pulled the car into my spot in the garage, Carlisle opened the white steel door leading into the mud room. Pushing the remote control to close the garage door, I exited the car slowly-closer to human speed. Stalling wouldn't make this conversation any easier. Even after I spied the worried look on Carlisle's face, I still couldn't help but drag my feet.

"Can Esme and I speak with you, Edward?" Carlisle said sternly. I haven't seen him this grave since we were on the hunt for James. After taking a heavy breath, he continued. "In the library."

_Only the serious discussions were held in the library, I'm in trouble. _I concentrated on placing one foot in front of the other, making my way towards the door. This whole situation made me feel like the seventeen year old I eternally appeared to be.

While I walked the short distance to the library in complete silence, I mentally swept the house for any whispers of minds. The house was very quiet as Carlisle lead the way. It appeared that only he, Esme, and I were in the house.

I purposefully stayed out of Esme and Carlisle's head, not wanting to hear how disappointed they were twice: once in their thoughts and once out loud. As he sat next to Esme on the plum colored couch, he motioned for me to sit in a high backed chair directly across from them.

Esme was the first to speak. "Edward, how are you? Alice called and told us what happened."

"I'm fine, really," I said in a tone as normal as I could muster. Esme continued her scrutiny of my face, her own expression unreadable.

"Oh my, it is true," Esme whispered, her eyes wide in surprise. Not tearing her own amber eyes away from mine, she wrung her hands together. "Carlisle, look at his eyes."

"My eyes? What are you talking about, look at my eyes?" I rose quickly, effortlessly arriving in front of the large gilded mirror across the library in under a second.

I gazed at my reflection, unchanged in over one hundred years. But Esme was right, my eyes were different. A bright red ring circled each of my black irises.

Carlisle approached silently, placing his hand on my shoulder. "Son, how much of Bella's blood did you ingest?"

I sighed. "A few drops, but it apparently was enough to do this to me" I said, frustratingly pointing at my newly transformed eyes.

"Very interesting, such a small quantity brought about this type of change." I could hear Carlisle internally estimating the size of my red rings in millimeters. I had half expected him to look in each of my eyes with the little flashlight he used at the hospital.

"Do you really have to be scientific about this? You're not the one who has accidentally consumed your human girlfriend's blood," I snapped.

"He's sorry, Edward," Esme interrupted. "You know he means well, forgive him for his behavior. This is a rare occurrence in our family. A situation hasn't occurred like this since Jasper's last lapse."

I walked across the room, returning to my chair. As I slumped forward and placed my head in my hands, a delicate and strong hand rubbed circles on my back. I looked across my shoulder to see my worried mother, nothing but concern showing in her pale face.

"What has happened with her? Alice mentioned you told Bella we were leaving Forks." She rose to her full height and gave my back one last loving pat before she returned to her husband's side. "Please tell us everything, start at the beginning."

I took an involuntarily deep breath before looking at the vampires who have been my parents for so much longer than I had lived with my biological family. I knew I owed them the truth and if I was lucky they would understand.

"When Bella cut herself at the birthday party, I realized that she would never be safe around us. I thought giving her a life without me, without vampires, would keep her free from harm."

"And how did she react to your decision?" Esme inquired.

"Not very well, I'm afraid. I expected her to accept my choice and go home. At first she seemed to do just that. When she turned to leave, she fell on a sharp rock and cut the palm of her hand open." As I recounted the sequence of events, I could vividly remember the smell of her sweet fresh blood flowing freely. The hurt and anger on her face was etched into my memory more strongly than the scent of her.

Carlisle spoke next. "But how did you get her blood in your mouth?"

"She jumped up and slapped me, that's how" I exclaimed. Both Esme and Carlisle's mouths were hanging slightly open at this revelation, never expecting that kind of action from their sweet little Bella.

"Why didn't you move out of the way?" she asked simply, still amazed that Bella could successfully make such an attack against a vampire.

I scoffed quietly, but smiled at the thought. "I guess I was so surprised she would hit me, I just froze."

Esme nodded her head, as if she knew what it felt like to want to slap a man. Carlisle smiled slightly, trying to keep a straight face. I glared at the both of them for their behavior.

"You do see the slight humor in that one slap," Carlisle asked, turning to his wife to see if she agreed.

"I'm glad this situation is so humorous to the both of you" I said sarcastically, wanting to get the rest of this conversation over with. If my parents found this funny, I would never live down this incident. I was already envisioning Emmett and Jasper's teasing about the "Bella Bitch Slap."

Carlisle visibly straightened his back, turned serious and looked at Esme before he spoke. "Edward, you should have asked the family before you made such a hasty decision. Of course we will leave Forks. If you decide it is the right move."

"We understand if you would like to go somewhere by yourself. We will miss you very much if you decide to leave, but it is your choice," Esme said, smoothing the creases out of her khaki pants.

"I don't want to uproot our family so soon, especially since Alice and I are seniors this year." I didn't really want to start high school over again so soon. I have grown tired of the same lessons, the same curriculum school after school.

"Then there is no need for us to move on, unless you have overheard a reason for us to move on?" Carlisle inquired.

"I haven't come across anyone with suspicions. I'm very sorry for hastily making a decision without speaking to all of you first," I offered. "It was very selfish of me and I wish I could take my actions back."

"What about Bella?" my father asked. "Do you want to be with her, son?"

"I love her. I'm not really sure how she feels about me right now. I only know that she wouldn't let me break up with her." I really didn't have a clue what the status of our relationship was at the moment.

"Give her time. Let her sleep on it and then talk to her, Edward," Esme pleaded. "Make sure you tell her your true feelings and why you said those awful things to her earlier. I don't want you to lose your one source of true happiness," she said concerned.

My mother picked up a framed photograph of Bella and me, smiling brightly at each other. She gently caressed the photograph of Bella and smiled softly. "She is a part of our family and we love her. And I've never seen you happier than when you are with her. Remember that."

"I will. Thank you for understanding and helping me decide the best course of action."

"That's what we're here for. I wonder how long your eyes will stay like that?" Esme gestured to my red ringed irises.

"Maybe we should go hunting, it will do you a world of good," Carlisle offered, quickly changing the subject.

I visibly shuddered with the thought of drinking animal blood after I had tasted the most exquisite flavor known to this vampire.

Esme and Carlisle exchanged a worried glance.

"You can be my guinea pig, Edward. Let's see how much you have to drink to erase the red circles." Carlisle proffered.

Great, now I really was a science laboratory rat. Leave it to Carlisle to make something useful out of a bad situation. "Actually, I feel really good right now. I haven't felt this strong in years." They exchanged a fleeting worried look at each other. Maybe I shouldn't have told the whole truth to that question.

"I'm going to stay here and wait for Alice. I'll call her and check how close to home she is," Esme explained, pulling me in tightly for a hug. I was right. I knew Alice would be coming home immediately after our phone conversation earlier in the night.

Carlisle and I ran out the back door and disappeared into the thick forest. We only had a few hours until dawn. If I had to pick Bella up for school as ordered, we would need to hurry. With any luck, a little hunting would change my eyes from red rimmed to amber colored. I wasn't relishing the thought of drawing any extra attention to myself by wearing sunglasses all day.

BPOV

I was pleasantly surprised that I had slept like a baby last night. No tossing and turning, maybe because I knew Edward wouldn't be watching me. I'm sure he spent our hours apart trying to figure out my atypical behavior last night. My new found strength was still running through my veins, I could feel it pulsing as I showered and wrapped my injured hand in a clean bandage. Is this what self-confidence felt like? I had no doubt that Edward would arrive right on time, as usual. I'm pretty sure my behavior after he tried to break up with me last night both shocked and left him curious.

I was alone in the house. Charlie had gone to work early, catching up on paperwork was his excuse as usual. Edward pulled into my drive way right on time. As I closed the front door behind me, he got out to open the passenger side door.

"Good morning, Bella." Edward greeted me evenly, opening the door for me and closing it after I was safely inside.

When Edward had slammed his own door after sliding behind the wheel, I returned his salutation. He was stiff as he navigated to the school, I could tell he was nervous during our silent ride.

Arriving at the school a little early, we pulled into a parking spot at the far end of the lot. He left the car running to keep us warm while we waited for our first class to start. The silence was awkward and we turned toward each other at the same time.

"Bella, I'm so-" Edward began, his lips turning up into a slight smile when I started to speak at the same time.

"Edward, last night-" was all I had gotten out before I smiled too, my cheeks flushing hot. "You go first," I said, nodding for him to go on.

He looked down at the steering wheel as he began. "I'm really sorry for what I attempted to do last night. It was very selfish of me and I want you to understand why I did what I did."

"You're going to explain the reasons for trying to break my heart in the fifteen minutes before class starts?" I wondered aloud.

Edward glanced down at the car stereo's digital display, acknowledging that we would indeed be in class in that many minutes. "Just believe me when I say that if I could take back what I did, I would. I'll spend the rest of your life trying to make amends for my poor behavior."

"I can't forget what happened, and I don't want to." I reached down and started to put on my gloves. "Wow, this is the first time you've ever admitted to being wrong."

As I acknowledged this, he reached over and gently laid his fingertips on my cheek. "Bella, you are my world and I love you. I'll do anything to keep you here with me."

"I love you too. I don't think I could bear it if we're apart. But I need for us to have a more normal relationship, Edward."

"By more normal, do you mean more physical? You understand that I can easily hurt you, right?" Edward actually looked frightened for a second before returning to his normal unreadable facial expression.

"Of course I do, but I mean other things too. Going out on dates, hanging out with my friends, things of that nature." I said casually. Edward nodded, smiling that little half smile he does. I checked the time. "We'd better go in or we'll be late."

We only had a few minutes before the first bell would ring. But neither of us wanted to leave the comfort and closeness the Volvo provided. Just when I started to open the door, he reached across my lap and closed it. He carefully pulled my face closer to his, our lips softly touching. I tangled my fingers in his bronze hair and he gripped my waist gently as our kiss became more urgent. We were quickly approaching his carefully constructed boundary line of appropriate behavior.

Suddenly there was a tap at the window. We broke off the kiss quickly, both of us breathing hard. We looked out of my window to see Alice smiling at us approvingly. I opened the door, my cheeks red hot with the embarrassment of being caught.

"Come on you two, we're going to be late. There's no need for me to witness the groping that's going to take place in this car."

"Good morning, Alice. You're looking especially well this morning." Edward said smugly, clearly kissing up to her. He knew he was in trouble for his actions of the previous night.

"Can it, Edward. I'm still mad at you and we'll deal with that later. But now, Bella and I need to get to class." Alice gently grabbed my hand, helping me out of the car.

Before I knew it, he had shut off the car and grabbed his coat, appearing beside us in just a few seconds. Luckily the parking lot was deserted this close to the first bell. The three of us hurried to class, one clumsy human and two graceful vampires.

It was so hard to concentrate in class with Alice sitting next to me, fidgeting in her seat. It was such an un-vampire like behavior. Quite frankly, it drove me crazy. The bell finally rang, signally the end of class. She didn't even give me a second to gather my books before she was quietly interrogating me about last night.

"Oh my God, Bella, I can't believe you slapped Edward. It was unfortunate that you were bleeding and all, but way to stand up to him!" She was talking so fast, I had to concentrate hard to keep up.

"Alice, you have to slow down. I didn't hear or understand half of what you said." I rolled my eyes, exasperated.

"Sorry, Bella. By the way, how is your hand?" Alice was speaking more slowly, but still faster than most humans talk.

"I have some stitches, the usual. It feels fine."

"I've never known someone who has had more stitches than you." Alice's smile was so infectious, I found myself smiling too.

My happy face quickly turned serious. "Can I ask you something, Alice?"

"Of course you can, Bella. Do you want tonight's lottery numbers?" she giggled, not knowing the seriousness of my question.

I mustered up the strength to find out the truth for myself. "Was Edward really going to leave me last night? I mean, if I hadn't stood up to him?"

Alice's eyes turned dark as she answered with a simple nod of her head indicating yes.

"But where would he have gone? Would I have lost you too?" I couldn't keep the desperation out of my voice.

"Our entire family moves on when appropriate. If it makes you feel better, I was going to miss you terribly and continue to watch over you while we were away." Alice's eyes glistened sadly as she made this promise that hadn't come to be.

"Oh," I said, stunned by the revelation that he really did want to abandon me. I've been in denial since last night, telling myself that he wasn't serious about leaving. This realization stung me deep inside, like hot coals were stabbed into my stomach.

"I have to get to class; we'll talk more at lunch." Alice hugged me a little too tightly as she said a temporary goodbye.

"Alice. Alice! I...can't...breathe," I sputtered. When she let me go, I smiled at this lovely but inadvertently dangerous gesture from my best friend.

"Oops, sorry, Bella," she sang as she danced off to her next class.

The next classes seemed to take forever to pass, but the lunch period finally arrived. My stomach was churning the entire time, making it hard to concentrate on the lectures. The lovely state of denial I had been in since last night had been crushed by Alice's revelation this morning. Edward and I had some serious discussions ahead of us regarding our relationship.

While walking to the cafeteria, a cool hand entwined with mine. Edward smiled and gave me a quick peck on the cheek.

"Good afternoon, Bella," he crooned, none of the apathy in his voice that had been present last night. I glided through the line for food quickly since I wasn't really hungry. I only grabbed a Coke. Edward however insisted that I eat something and picked a premade garden salad out for me.

As soon as we had sat at our usual table, the groveling began. "Please forgive me, Bella. Are we okay?"

"This morning I would have said that we were fine. But I came to the realization while speaking to Alice after first period that I'm not okay."

Edward looked irritated and waited several seconds before he spoke. "So Alice has changed your mind?"

"She didn't change my mind, she made me realize that I can't easily forget and forgive your actions so quickly." I took a small bite of a cucumber and my stomach lurched.

"It was a rash decision, one I made to protect you." He growled under his breath, clearly thinking I would easily forgive him and let all of this go without some kind of punishment.

"Alice said that you would have gone through with it if I hadn't slapped you" I whispered.

He took my left hand in his icy grasp and stared deep into my eyes. "I was set on leaving, but you slapped me back into reality. I can't survive without you."

"Was it my actions or my blood that changed your mind?" I said spitefully. "Maybe the fact that I was willing to stand up to you and not sit back, helplessly taking your choice as gospel?" I was starting to get angry again and the volume of my voice was increasing.

"Bella, I don't think we should continue our discussion here, there's too many people around," he said through clenched teeth.

"Fine, tonight then. We'll discuss the direction our relationship is going" I said, staring straight at him.

Just in time to break up our stare down, Alice floated into the room and joined us at our table. "Hi, guys, how's it going?" she asked, glancing nervously back and forth between Edward and I with her brow furrowed.

"Everything is just peachy," I said, stabbing another bite of my damned salad. Another thing that I let Edward decide for me.

"Great timing as usual, sis."

"Hey, I didn't see this scene brewing. I was late because I was speaking with Jasper on my cell phone outside the cafeteria," She explained.

"How is Jasper, anyway," I asked. Hopefully his stay in Alaska was helping his control. "How long before he can come home?"

"Feeling much better, thanks for asking," she said. "Jasper will be home on Sunday."

Edward let out a low growl. "I don't think it's a good idea for Jasper to be around Bella in the near future. Not until he can prove that he has full control his actions."

Alice seethed, clenching her teeth tightly. "He feels really bad about this whole situation. You really can't expect him to never see Bella again, can you?"

"I don't want him to ever be a threat to her again."

Alice stared out the window for a few seconds before replying. "I don't see any future incidents with Bella and Jasper. They are both safe."

"I believe _she's_ safe for now," Edward stated bleakly. "I don't want our family to be separated because of this. And I'm not giving her up."

"One more thing, Jasper wants to know how it feels to be slapped by a girl." Alice winked at me.

"Tell him that Bella hits harder than he does." His dire face quickly turned into a smiling one.

Since the tension was still perceptible between the two of them even with the joking, I decided to change the subject. "How do you feel after your, um, accidental drink last night?"

Edward looked confused. "My what? Oh, I'm fine. I don't really feel any different than usual I guess."

"I'm glad you're okay, Edward, I didn't realize my hand was bleeding," I explained.

"I'm really proud of you, you showed great restraint when she hit you last night," Alice said. "Much more restraint than I might have had if that liquid was spattered into my mouth."

"Thank you," he replied proudly.

The turn in subject of this conversation raised several questions in my mind. I asked quietly "Has any of your kind subsisted off of humans without actually killing us?"

Alice was the first to answer. "Not that I've heard of or seen. Once we start, we really can't stop until there's nothing left."

"But what if someone had enormous self-control? Could they make themselves stop before they run out?" I was pushing the line with these questions, but I was really curious. Edward was stone silent and unreadable during my questions.

"Maybe. I guess it's possible." The bell rang and interrupted Alice, signaling five minutes until the next class starts. "Why are you asking all of these questions, Bella?"

Edward looked at me worryingly and spoke directly to her. "She's just curious about my reaction to her accident yesterday. Nothing more."

Alice exited the cafeteria, leaving Edward and I alone at our table in a nearly empty cafeteria.

"Bella, I know what kind of idea you're forming in that pretty head of yours. It won't work. I won't be able to stop."

"You didn't hurt me last night. I know you can control yourself," I added confidently.

"And my venom can infect you so quickly. I don't want that to happen."

"If it happens, it happens right?" I said nonchalantly.

Edward grimaced. "You know I don't want to turn you."

"I'll be fine. Strike, that. We'll be fine."

"I don't know how we would hide this from Alice or the rest of my family. She sees everything." Edward was scared but interested.

&8&8&8&8&8

The rest of the school day passed by uneventfully. Edward was waiting outside of my last period class when it was over and we strolled leisurely to the car.

"Where's Alice, is she riding home with us?" I asked Edward, realizing I didn't know how Alice got here this morning.

"She's riding with us, she ran in this morning since it was faster," he explained.

As soon as he had answered my question, I spied her walking across the parking lot to the car. I held the passenger side car door open for her, waiting for her to get closer. When she was a foot away, Alice stopped dead in her tracks and dropped her bag to the ground. That's when I noticed she was staring at nothing, a vision must be coming. Edward stiffened in the driver's seat, watching the vision from inside her head.

Alice snapped out of it, staring straight at Edward. "What the hell are you two planning?"


	3. Chapter 3  Your Decision

**A/N – Are you ready for a look inside Alice's head? Anxious about the talk between Edward and Bella? Props to Erikasbuddy and OnePushyFox for their beta magic. Check out my blog for a photo and song for this chapter (http:/callofdutywidowfiction (dot)blogspot(dot)com). **

**Disclaimer: Character names are the property of Stephenie Meyer, but the plot twists and turns are all my own. **

Chapter 3 - Your Decision

APOV

The afternoon was so pleasant. I talked to Jasper during lunch on my cell phone. Just a few minutes of hearing his voice made me happy since he was doing so much better. I didn't want to leave him in Alaska, but I couldn't stay after I was slammed with a disturbing vision of Edward and Bella from out of nowhere. I knew Bella needed me as soon as I saw Edward acting very strangely. Once she was bleeding and Edward had a taste resulting from Bella's slap, all I saw was my brother cradling her lifeless body in his arms. There was no way that I could let that happen to my best friend. I quickly intervened over the phone and talked Edward down.

With that crisis averted, I knew that Edward and Bella would be at school the next morning. What they were doing there after the events of the previous night was beyond me. Carlisle thought it was a good idea to see how things were going in person, just in case I needed to step in again. It was very hard to not argue with Edward for his stupidity, but I didn't want to chastise him in front of Bella. I left my worst for our arrival at home.

Lunch turned quite unpleasant when we had our tiny spat, but he was my brother and we had all the time in the world together. I've never held a grudge, so I didn't start now. During the argument Bella sat in her chair impassively, her gaze straight down at the table. I'm sure she didn't want to get in between me and Edward, especially since it could be seen as taking sides. And that's the last thing that I wanted her to do.

After the argument in the cafeteria, my day was instantly better with the arrival of a happy vision. It came very clearly to me during my last class. In my vision I sat in my family's living room on Sunday. I wore a stunning blue Versace dress with the cutest matching blue Manolo's when Jasper strolled through the front door. It was a weight off of mind knowing that he was home in a few short days.

But wait a minute, I don't own that dress. I must have gone shopping before Jasper's arrival. Who did I drag along on a shopping trip? Maybe Bella went with me on Saturday. That's just what she needed to make herself feel better, a girls only day of shopping. I know she has always hated to shop, but I must have convinced her somehow.

But I digress. All was well until I was walking towards Edward's car after school. Bella was so thoughtful holding the door open for me. I almost reached them but then wham-o, another vision. This one didn't turn out to be a happy one like the previous instance.

This time I saw Edward and Bella, alone in her bedroom in the dark. I usually shook off a vision that shows intimate activities like this, but I couldn't stop this vision. In the midst of enjoying each other, the sound of car doors slamming caused them to freeze. They both turned towards the front of the house. It was then that I saw Edward's eyes were colored bright red and Bella had a bleeding wound on her arm. Neither of them seemed to be concerned about either of those things in the least before they were interrupted. As soon as a key turned in the front door, everything went black. This has never happened before, my vision must have short circuited itself somehow. It literally felt like someone slammed the door in my face, cutting off my vantage point.

I decided to worry about the black out later. There were more serious things to worry about at that time. As soon as the vision ended I yelled at Bella and Edward, I couldn't help myself. They even made me swear, I was that angry.

"What the hell are you two planning?" I screeched loudly. It garnered the attention of several students in the parking lot.

Bella looked back at Edward and raised an eyebrow, while he glared at me from the driver's seat. I didn't let his intimidation attempt stop my line of questioning. "Well?"

While I just stood there waiting for an answer, he finally broke the silence. "Alice, get in this car right now. You're making a scene."

Bella lifted the passenger side seat so I could get in. As soon as we pulled out of the school parking lot, I mentally bombarded Edward with questions.

_Did you see my vision?_

Edward nodded his head yes slightly, keeping his eyes on the road.

_Care to explain what I saw?_

He sighed and asked "What, the part where your vision cut to black? Maybe your gift is on the fritz."

Bella turned slightly in her seat so she could better see both Edward and I. "Were you two having a silent conversation again? You know I hate it when you leave me out of the loop."

"Sorry, old habits die hard" I explained.

"Who was in the vision?" Bella asked.

Edward answered before I could. "We were in the vision and Alice was watching something personal and well, _private_."

"Hey now, you know I don't want to see any of that! I tried to get out of this vision but I couldn't end it." I was barely holding the steadily mounting anger building inside me. _None of this is my fault, Mr. Perfect._

We arrived on Bella's street and quickly turned into her driveway.

"I'll be over later. Alice and I need to go home for a while" he explained to Bella.

"But I want to know about the vision. Please tell me, Alice."

Edward gave me a quick stern glance. I opened my mouth to speak, but snapped it quickly shut after thinking better of it.

"I'll tell you all about it when I get here later. Now go in and eat something, you're looking a bit pale," he commanded. Boy, he was bossy when irritated.

They both exited the car and walked to her doorstep. After a chaste kiss on the lips, Edward returned to the car and Bella went into the house.

"Now do you want to tell me about my vision?" I asked forcefully from the back seat. I was still angry with him, so he could chauffeur me home _Driving Miss Daisy_ style.

Edward continued to play dumb. "What part do you want to know about?"

"Let's start with the red eyes, Edward?"

He flipped through radio stations at lightning speed just to avoid answering my question and remained silent.

"Are you changing your diet soon?" There was still no answer from the front seat. "Or will this be just an all Bella diet?" I pestered him until I got an answer.

Getting more visibly irritated by the second, he finally answered. "Bella's questions at lunch piqued my curiosity. You saw more of a "what if" scenario than anything, Alice."

"This kind of situation is unheard of. Aren't you scared of what can happen to you or more importantly Bella?" Our family had a firm no killing humans policy, I wasn't sure if this was that different in the eyes of the family.

"I've had Bella's blood twice now. She's still very much alive and kicking. It seems she has proven our kind wrong so far, we can have a human without killing them."

"I really think that you are the exception, not the rule in this case, Edward." I wagged my finger in his direction. "Besides, those two instances you speak of were flukes."

"I think I could handle it, but what I suppose doesn't matter. That situation is not going to come up." We sped down the mountain road to our home and were there in a matter of minutes. I had to make my point quickly, especially since I didn't want to involve the rest of our family just yet.

"Good, I don't want anything bad happening to her. She is my best friend and I don't want to be without her this soon in her life."

Edward sighed as he pulled up to our house. "Don't worry about us. Everything will be fine. If I were you, I'd be more worried about why your vision went black."

"Fine, just change the subject. I'm done talking to you anyway." I stalked off daintily to my room. Was my short circuited, cut to black vision going to be a common occurrence?

EPOV

Alice was going to make things very problematic for me. I wasn't really sure if I wanted to take Bella up on her offer. Hell, she really hasn't offered me anything. We haven't had a second alone since our drive to school. That situation was remedied as soon as I made my entrance through her bedroom window at the usual time. Charlie was asleep in the room across the hallway and snored softly, so we were as alone as we could be tonight.

Bella was fast asleep on her side, homework scattered around her on the bed. She hadn't heard me come in through the window. In fact, she never heard me when I would visit before we started dating. She looked so peaceful, asleep on her soft bed with her long brown hair splayed across her pillow. I almost didn't want to wake her and ruin her peace, especially not knowing how this conversation would go.

I sat down on the corner of her bed, my weight caused the bed to lean slightly. This small change in pitch awoke Bella. She mumbled a greeting as she rubbed her eyes and sat up to give me more room.

"How long have you been here?" She gathered up her homework and shoved the pages hastily in a book. "I must have fallen asleep."

"I've only been here a few moments. Besides, you know how much I like watching you sleep." I realized it sounded creepy after I said it aloud, but I really could watch her sleep forever. Everything was much simpler when she was dreaming.

"Hey" she said quickly with an upturned voice. "What was with that vision that Alice had earlier?"

I laughed nervously and wondered what part I should tell her. I had really hoped she had forgotten about the damned vision.

I took a deep breath to buy me some time and began to retell Alice's vision with a few minor omissions. "In her vision, we were in your room in the dark and…um, I guess you could say we were making out?" I've never had to talk about anything like this before and my discomfort was obvious. From the red stain that spread quickly across Bella's cheeks, she was embarrassed too.

"Why was Alice so mad earlier? That doesn't sound like much of a reason to be angry with us." She knitted her eyebrows together, clearly perplexed.

"She was mad about the color of my eyes in the vision." I carefully examined Bella's face, looking for any evidence of her disgust at the thought of being with a vampire that drinks from humans. "They were red." Luckily I didn't see the slightest hint of distaste.

She smiled nervously and smoothed her shirt. "Oh, but your eyes were like that last night. I could see them when you dropped me off after my visit to the emergency room."

"They weren't completely red last night. I had such a small amount of your blood so my eyes were only ringed with red. But in Alice's vision, they were completely red and your arm was bleeding. It didn't take much for Alice to put two and two together." I looked away, still unsure of what lay ahead of us.

Bella grabbed my hand and spoke quietly. "I see you've made a decision about my offer, if Alice's vision is an accurate indicator."

I wrapped my other hand over both of ours, wanting to hold onto her more tightly.

"So, um, we should probably talk about us." She looked nervous as she fidgeted with a piece of scrap paper.

"Why don't you begin? Tell me what's on your mind" I said as I made myself more comfortable on her small bed.

She lightly cleared her throat and nervously smiled. "Like I said in the car earlier, I need a more normal relationship. One where I'm considered an equal partner in everything."

"I know that I tend to make a lot of the decisions. I guess the men made the decisions more back when I was human. Maybe I've been acting a little old fashioned."

She laughed softly. "A little old fashioned? Edward you're more behind the times in conventions than most grandparents."

There may be hope for us yet. Bella was lighthearted at the moment.

"What about your other requests from this morning?" I kept my face unreadable, but I was cringing inside about having to share her. "One of those requests was to go out with your friends more."

"I really like Angela and we only see each other at school. Maybe we can double date sometime, us with her and Ben?"

"That sounds tolerable, I've always liked Angela and Ben." In reality those were the only two people at that retched high school who don't want Bella all to themselves. "As long as we don't go anywhere with that Mike Newton. I don't like him."

Bella grinned. "You don't like him because you think that he's the competition."

I chose my words carefully. "You're right, but I've already got you. End of competition." She didn't need to know that I really hated him for his inappropriate thoughts of Bella every time she was near. Hell, even when she wasn't near he had some pretty imaginative fantasies of her. She certainly didn't need to know about the murderous rage I had to contain when I heard those very same thoughts. He was no competition, just a mere annoyance.

"You are rather sure of yourself, Edward Cullen," she said with a devilish smile. "There was no competition. It was you all along. Who were we talking about?"

I smiled right along with her while I inched a little closer to her. I needed to feel her next to me, so she wouldn't decide I wasn't worth the time or effort.

"You seem different now. You're the same beautiful Bella on the outside, but the inside seems a little…altered. But in a good way." She had this new self-confidence about her and it really did suit her.

She looked up at me curiously. "It's because I have changed _inside_, Edward. I'm sick of being the wilting violet. The entire time we've been together I've never felt good enough, like I didn't have anything to add to our relationship. I was always afraid that you would leave me. And you proved me right with the whole forest situation last night."

I winced when she brought up the subject of my cruelty to her last night. I'm such an idiot for thinking she would be better off without me. I opened my mouth to speak but Bella cut me off with a soft finger to my lips.

"Something inside of me woke up last night when I fell to the ground. I'm only a little sorry for slapping you. You really deserved it for trying to break my heart. But I now realize my worth, I know what I can bring to the table."

I frowned since I've never realized that she felt this way. "You've always meant the world to me. From the first time I saw you, nothing else has mattered. You've made me feel alive after all of these dark years."

"But I've never felt like I could give you anything. You've tried to give me the material things that I need, but I've been too proud to accept them." She looked out the window as I moved even closer to her on the bed.

I wrapped my arm around her waist, gently pulling her closer. "I wish you would see that money doesn't mean anything to me. I would like to give you presents without you being so disagreeable about it."

She leaned her head on my shoulder, letting out a low sigh. "I know, but it always felt like charity. I'll try to accept things graciously next time. Especially now that I can give you something no one else can."

I knew exactly what she was hinting about. "Bella, I'm afraid you are overestimating my control" I said sternly, staring right into her deep brown eyes.

"I have complete confidence in you. I'm sure Alice would warn me if any harm were coming my way," she said too confidently about Alice's visions. But then again, she didn't know about the lights out part of her last vision.

"She interceded last night, didn't she?" I said blandly. I shifted closer to her on the bed, our legs now touching. "But Alice's visions are always altered when someone changes their mind."

Thinking I was disinterested, her face grew serious. "Well, we don't have to go down that path. This is just the one thing that I can offer you, a way for me to be important in your life." Bella frowned and looked away.

"You've always been important in my existence. Even before I met you, I was waiting for you." Bella finally looked up at me, her eyes searching my face. "Saving myself for you." I wasn't sure how much more clearly I could talk about my feelings. I did the only thing I could to make her believe, I showed her instead of telling her.

She trembled as I lightly brushed my fingers down her cheek, following the contours of her creamy skin into her neck. I felt the heat surfacing on her skin where she blushed as I followed the trail my fingers had taken with soft kisses. This was new territory for us. It was hard to resist the scent of her blood, even muted through her delicate skin. The burn in my throat had grown stronger.

Bella held very still as I slowly kissed my way down her skin, my mouth hovered over her long, soft neck. I had to taste her skin there, I couldn't stop myself. As soon as my lips met her supple skin, she grasped the back of my head. Of course her weak grip couldn't keep me against her, but there was no other place I would rather be at that moment. Even with the intense burning from my hunger for the sweet liquid flowing inside of her, I didn't back away.

When the burning decreased infinitesimally, I shifted my attention to her lips. As our kiss deepened, Bella rose to straddle my lap. She ran one hand through my hair, and grabbed my neck with the other. This was bold new territory for us and I had to break our kiss when it all became too much. She moved her head back an inch, staring intensely into my eyes. I could feel her hands moving from my body, no longer touching me.

After a few seconds of movement behind my head, the realization of what she was doing hit me as soon as the sweet perfume permeated the air. Bella had pricked her finger with a something sharp, her blood sluggishly flowing out of her fingertip. Before I could ask what she was doing, she rubbed the crimson nectar on my lips. Momentarily stunned, the vampire in me quickly took the lead and quickly cleaned the blood away.

Seeing my response, she smiled wickedly and offered her finger to me. If I took this from her there was no going back. The other times I had ingested her blood were of out of necessity or force, not of my own accord. I internally battled with the demon inside of me for what seemed like an eternity before I came to a decision that I could live with.

I wrapped my lips around her finger, careful to not rake my venom covered teeth on her delicate skin. She didn't pull her finger away when I began to imbibe, a low growl escaping my lips in pleasure. She carefully pushed her finger into my mouth as I gently pulled her lifeblood into me, slowly lapping at the most precious gift I had ever received. I closed my eyes, reveling in the ecstasy of the experience. That's when I noticed that she was holding her breath while I was sucking on her finger.

When I felt like I had taken too much, I forced myself to pull away. "Breathe, Bella," was all I said, not wanting her to faint. When I saw her suck in a breath of air, the sight of her lips taking in her life giving oxygen made me want her even more. I smashed my mouth to hers hungrily, this kiss much more feral than anything else. She pressed herself into me and lightly ground her hips towards me, seeking maximum contact between our bodies. But the monster in me could take no more, I had to get away. I found myself frozen in place, not wanting to part with my Bella.

She felt me stiffen underneath her. She increased the gap between our faces by a mere half inch. "Bella," I rasped. "I can't do this anymore. I have to get away before I hurt you. I fought with my inner monster for control and it was winning. I need to feed, right now." I wondered if my eyes were red rimmed like they had been last night.

Her eyes wide with caution and surprise, she whispered "I understand. I love you Edward." She carefully pressed her lips to my cheek, her neck prone to my mouth. It would only take a fraction of a second for me to bite. A voice inside of my head screamed for me to bite. She started to untangle herself from me, mercifully leaving me free to rise to my feet.

I couldn't stand the separation, it was too much. I leaned down at inhuman speed to press my lips to hers again. When she gasped and let out a small yelp I realized I had startled her.

We broke apart quickly. "I love you too" I said quietly. I flew out her window, in search of my next meal. The glorious tasting blood that I had consumed had done nothing to quench the fire. It had just served as the kindling for a bon fire that seemed to burn my entire body.

Unknown POV

The burning didn't stop. There was only blackness, pain, and paralysis. The fire inside of my body was unbearable. I didn't hear the predator come up behind me as I walked home from school. As it ripped into my neck, I knew I was as good as dead. I should have been dead but I wasn't sure. Was this hell? Maybe that explained the burning. I was trapped inside of myself, burning from within. Is this what I deserved?


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N- Thanks again to my wonderful betas for their input! I'm posting this on the sly while my in-laws are visiting. **

**Disclaimer - Yeah, yeah, yeah, Stephenie Meyer owns all this stuff. **

Chapter 4

BPOV

I had awoken to the sound of birds loudly chirping. Hadn't I just fallen asleep? And now it was already time to get ready for school, but at least it was Friday. After I showered and dressed, I went downstairs to make breakfast for Charlie. He'd been going to work early during the last few weeks. This was the first time he was still home when I came downstairs, so I seized the opportunity to cook for us.

"Morning, Bells," he said with a slight smile while turning the page of his newspaper.

"Do you want eggs and bacon for breakfast?" I asked while I pulled them out of the refrigerator.

"That sounds really good. You know how I like them." He quickly glanced at me to make sure I was using the real butter for his eggs. Charlie hated eggs that had been cooked in non-stick cooking spray. Satisfied that I remembered this fact, he returned to his newspaper.

As I divided our food onto individual plates, the doorbell rang. I wondered aloud who could be here this early. Edward was extremely punctual and wouldn't be here for another 20 minutes. "I'll get it. Make sure you drink that orange juice, not just your coffee," I called to Charlie as I walked to the front door.

A large smile spread across my face after I opened the door. Edward was on my porch with his hands in his coat pockets, wearing a matching grin of his own. Although his smile looked slightly nervous.

"You're early, I'm still eating breakfast." He stepped forward to give me a chaste kiss on the cheek. Obviously he knew Charlie was inside.

"I'm here early because Alice wanted me to speak with your father," he said.

The smile quickly faded from my lips. "Oh, okay. Why don't you come in?" I turned and walked towards the kitchen with Edward right behind me.

"Edward would like to speak with you," I said as sat down and resumed eating my breakfast. My eggs had grown cold, but I ate them anyway.

"Sir," Edward began with a nod of his head as he stood just inside the entryway.

Charlie gruffly greeted him with a simple, "Edward." It may as well have been a grunt.

"Alice would like Bella to spend the weekend at our house. They will also go shopping in Port Angeles tomorrow." I looked up from my plate, horror on my face. I hated shopping, and Alice made the experience mind numbingly drawn out.

Before I could ask Edward why I didn't know about this request, Charlie began his interrogation. "And where will you be tonight and the rest of the weekend, Edward?" I imagined this was the voice he used to grill suspected criminals.

He shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other before answering. "The men in my family are going hiking and we'll return on Sunday. Alice and my mother are staying home."

Charlie looked at Edward suspiciously. "Can I call your mother to check up on this story?"

I groaned and gave Charlie a pleading look. My eyes fixed on his as I mentally begged him to believe Edward and not embarrass me by calling Esme.

"I already told her to expect a call from you this morning," Edward said smugly.

"Hmm," he said. Finally Charlie spoke directly to me. "You can go if this checks out, but make sure you are only in Port Angeles during the daylight hours. Pretty girls like you and Alice can attract trouble."

"Thanks, Dad. I promise we'll be inconspicuous." I picked up our breakfast dishes and placed them in the sink.

Charlie stood up and took out his wallet. "Here's some money, Bells. It's not much, but buy yourself something nice."

I took the money with a smile, and surprised Charlie as I hugged his waist tightly. "Thank you so much," I said into his shoulder.

He cleared his throat, choked up and uncomfortable by this unusual display of affection from me. "I have to go to the station. Remember what I said about being safe. There have been a few attacks and missing person reports in Port Angeles over the last few weeks. We even have a missing person's case in Forks too."

Something had actually happened in rainy Forks? Nothing happened around here. "A missing person from Forks?" I asked.

Charlie strapped on his holster and put his gun in place, all while he continued speaking. "That's why I have to get to work. The call came into the station last night, but the kid hadn't been missing for 24 hours at the time. Hopefully they've turned up by now."

"We'll be on the lookout, Chief," I said with a salute of my hand.

"Funny, Bella." Charlie was clearly not amused. "Have a good day at school. I'll call you there if his story doesn't check out," he said, nodding his head towards Edward.

I laughed lightly since I knew that his story would definitely check out. I'm sure Esme was waiting for Charlie's call right now.

When the front door slammed, Edward approached me slowly. A contented smile appeared on my face as he pulled me close and wrapped his cool arms around me. I could stay like this forever, and when I had my way that's how it will be.

"What did you do after you left last night?" I asked, curious about his activities after he abruptly left my room. I nestled my head more comfortably against his hard chest.

"Nothing much. I found something to eat and went home," he explained into my hair as he kissed my head.

"Are you really going out of town for the entire weekend?"

"Carlisle, Emmett, and I are going hunting. But we're also going to meet Jasper at the Canadian border. There are a few things that we need to hash out before he returns home."

"Oh," I said sadly. "But seriously, I have to go shopping with Alice? Do you want to torture me?"

"Alice said that is what you'll be doing tomorrow. Something about a specific outfit she needed to get for Jasper's homecoming."

"Okay. But just this once." I sighed, resigned to my fate. "You know she takes forever when she shops. Plus she'll make me try on dresses. And high heeled shoes."

"Oh, the horror," Edward said sarcastically.

I lightly jabbed him in the ribs, which definitely hurt me more than him. "You owe me one, _big time_." When I looked up at his face, he was chuckling lightly. It was nice to see Edward in such a light hearted mood for once.

As I continued to look up at his face, he lowered his lips to mine. This kiss was much different than the chaste peck on the cheek that I got on the porch earlier. Our lips danced together. When we increased in pressure and intensity, I had to break away just to breathe.

"You forgot to breathe again, didn't you," he smiled.

"I know, but I'm still getting used to this amount of … action." I giggled.

"Me too, my blushing beauty, now let's go to school. We don't want Charlie hearing that we're late and cancelling Alice's big weekend plans." He grabbed my bag and led me out the door to his car.

X&X&X&X&X&

After a rather slow and uneventful day at school, Edward drove Alice and me to my house so I could pack for the weekend. I heard them whispering quickly to one another when I walked downstairs with my overnight bag. As soon as I hit the bottom step, they were abruptly quiet. Alice grinned widely while Edward stood nearby with his hands in his pockets, his face unreadable.

"What's up with you two?" I asked nonchalantly. They were acting more strangely than usual.

Edward shot Alice a stern look, but she spoke anyway. "We got you a present."

"When did you have time to buy me a present?" I asked, curious as to what it might be.

Edward reached into his pocket and handed me a brand new BlackBerry cell phone. "Alice and I went during one of the more boring periods of school this morning."

"And I picked out the color. He wanted to get the boring old black one." Alice said teasingly. She was obviously very proud of her purple color choice.

I quickly hugged Alice. "Thank you so much." I scanned my new phone as I pulled away from Alice. "Black is pretty plain, isn't it?"

"I wanted to buy this for you so we will never be out of touch. You can call me as much as you like when I'm gone this weekend."

"More like you'll be calling her non-stop," Alice said loudly, rolling her eyes. "You know Bella and I have a very busy weekend planned, don't ruin it with your phone call marathon."

"Like you don't call Jasper a thousand times a day when he's away," was his witty comeback.

I needed to change the subject or they would be like this all night. "Guys. Let's go before Charlie comes home and changes his mind."

Alice grabbed my bag and headed out the front door. Edward and I were a few paces behind her.

When we reached the door, I hugged Edward and kissed him lightly on the lips. "This is a very thoughtful gift. Thank you."

He smiled as he gently pushed me out the door with his hand at the small of my back. "Isn't it much easier when you don't fight me?"

"I promised you that I would react better. Even though this present was purely for your selfish reasons," I teased from the top step of the porch.

"You're damn right it is. I like being able to be instantly in contact with you when we're not together." Edward locked my front door and we headed for their home deep in the woods.

During the trip to the Cullen residence, I tried to figure out how my new electronic contraption worked. I was pretty sure I could answer a phone call, but I had no clue how to call someone. And the keys were positively tiny. "One of you is going to have to show me how to use this thing," I thought aloud.

"Honestly Bella, have you never had a cell phone before? I thought every teenager was handed one when they started junior high." Alice seemed amazed that I hadn't had one before now.

I laughed. "I never had much of a need for one. Before you, the only people I'd call would be Renee or Charlie."

Alice and Edward exchanged a serious look before he spoke. "When you figure out how to use it, check the pictures on your phone. Alice took a few of me so you can see my face when my number comes up. It was rather embarrassing." That was very sweet of Alice to think of that.

"Do you want a picture of me for your phone?" I asked as I hoped I looked more presentable than usual today.

"I already have some, but we'll take more later," he promised as he rested his hand on my thigh. Now I needed to get my hands on his phone. I wanted to see what photos he had of me. Especially since I don't remember him taking any.

"Don't worry, I'll show you how to do everything on your phone this weekend. You'll be texting and sending picture mail in no time." I was very grateful that she offered to help me. "I already put all of our numbers in the directory. Charlie and Renee's too."

After we arrived at the Cullen's house and went inside, Edward led me upstairs to his room.

"You will be staying in my room this weekend," he said as he opened the door and allowed me to enter first.

"But where will I sleep?" I asked since I knew Edward didn't have a bed.

I stopped just inside the doorway of his room, surprised at the changes before me. A king sized bed sat in the middle of the far wall. It was dressed in a beautiful sage green colored duvet with matching pillows. It was very understated, yet very elegant.

"When Alice suggested you stay here, she went bed shopping while I was with you last night." He dropped my bag on a black chair and looked back at me expectantly.

"Edward, Bella," Esme shouted from downstairs. "Please come down so dinner plans can be made."

"We better get downstairs. Esme has been in pure mother hen mode since yesterday. She's excited that you'll be staying here this weekend." Edward grabbed my hand and led me from his room.

When we walked into the kitchen, I stopped dead in my tracks. The counter was covered with snack food, a variety of fruits, and drinks.

"Welcome, Bella," Esme said. "I went grocery shopping today just for you."

Edward laughed. "It looks like you shopped for someone Emmett's size."

"I did get some strange looks at the grocery store when I bought all of this," she said as she pointed in the direction of the overflowing counter. "But that could be because no one has seen us at the grocery store in Forks before." Edward and Esme laughed, and I joined in. I'm sure the clerk had been pretty shocked to see such a thin, pale, beautiful woman buy so much junk food. I'm sure the eating disorder rumors will start flying in no time.

"Thank you, Esme. I'm not sure how much of this I can eat in one weekend, but I'll try to make a dent." She had shopped like she had to feed an entire football team, not one person.

"Don't worry yourself over this. Whatever you don't eat, I'll send it with Carlisle to the hospital. The staff there will take care of it in no time." Esme was clearly very generous.

While I surveyed the huge pile of food looking for a quick snack, Alice skipped into the room. "I've got everything ready in the family room. I'm going to order a pizza and pick it up in town."

"You don't have to go to all of this trouble for me. Esme has taken care of everything," I said and smiled warmly at her.

"Nonsense, Bella. We are having a normal girl's night at home. No boys allowed," Alice continued while she shooed Edward out of the kitchen with her.

I chose an apple to start. While I was washing the apple in the sink, Edward came back into the kitchen. "Carlisle and Emmett are ready to go."

"I better say goodbye to them," Esme said, leaving Edward and I alone in the kitchen.

"So," I began. I walked towards him as he approached me, meeting in the middle.

"We'll be back Sunday morning," he said while he pulled me close. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too. Although it looks like I'm not going to have time to miss you with all that Alice and Esme have planned."

"You'll have fun and I'll be back before you know it."

He kissed my forehead and slowly brought his lips down to mine. We parted after a lingering, slow kiss. A silent _I love you_ escaping both of our lips before he walked out of the house.

X&X&X&X&X&

"I don't think I can watch one more movie," I said. It was three in the morning and I really didn't know how my eyes had stayed open this long. Well, I actually did know how. Drinking an entire 2 liter bottle of Coca-Cola provided enough sugar and caffeine to keep a toddler up for 4 days straight.

Esme and Alice both giggled. We started watching movies at seven o'clock. In the meantime we watched three movies, all targeted towards a female audience.

"Why don't you go up to bed? I'm surprised you lasted this long," Esme said as Alice was taking another DVD out of its case.

I didn't argue since I was beat. "What time are we leaving for Port Angeles in the morning?" I asked Alice.

"Since you stayed up so late, we'll leave at eleven if that's okay with you? We'll miss the rain and the rest of the day will be overcast, so it's perfect timing."

"Eleven is fine. Good night. This has been a lot of fun, I'm really glad you invited me over." I covered the yawn escaping my mouth.

They both said their good nights as I walked up the stairs to Edward's bedroom. After I changed into comfortable pajamas and brushed my teeth in the adjoining bathroom, I fell into a deep sleep brought on by sheer exhaustion.

X&X&X&X&X&

"I'm not so sure about this. Why did I let you talk me into coming here?" I asked Alice. We shopped for four hours before taking a dinner break. The trunk of her car was filled to capacity with clothes, shoes, and handbags. She bought so much stuff; there was no way to guess what was in there.

After our somewhat early bird dinner, Alice said she had a surprise for me. We walked a few short blocks before we halted in front of a salon.

Alice smiled and grabbed my hand, pulling me in the shop door. "You have an appointment for some pampering."

I let her yank me in to the building. I figured I was just getting a manicure or something. Little did I know that Alice had more on her agenda than that for me.

I was quickly whisked into a barber's chair. A black plastic cape was fastened around my neck, a little too tightly. Tugging at the tight fabric around my neck, I yelped, "Seriously Alice, I already tried on all the clothes you wanted me to earlier. I've been a really good sport."

"You have been very patient today. This is the last thing we're doing before we go back to Forks. I'm treating you to a cut and color as well, so sit still and let the beautician work her magic."

"What's wrong with my hair?" I asked as I pulled a small section away from my head. I liked my dark brown hair; it was easy to manage even though it was long.

"There's nothing wrong with it Bella. We're just making it better," Alice said matter-of-factly.

"Fine. I give up. Let's just get this over with." I looked straight at the woman whom I had entrusted with my hair. I pointed at Alice and said "Nothing drastic. If my hair looks like hers when you're done, you'll be in big trouble." Sure it was an empty threat, but I really didn't want short hair like Alice had. She was stuck with her hair for eternity, but I would be stuck with my hair until it grew out. And anyway, bad hair felt like it took an eternity to grow out.

While my hair was cut and the highlights were applied, Alice kept careful watch. She gave her opinion to the hair stylist freely without being too domineering. While the dye worked its magic, I got a manicure and a pedicure in a deep red hue. I hated to admit it, but I could get used to this kind of pampering.

My new phone rang while I was waiting in the chair, pieces of folded foil covering choice clumps of hair on my head. I grinned like an idiot when I saw Edward's smiling face on the screen. This was the fourth time he had called today. "Help, Alice is torturing me," I said instead of hello.

"What the hell is she doing to you? Do I need to come home?" he said quickly and quite ferociously.

"I was joking. She's not the one who is torturing me right now. You don't have much of a sense of humor, do you?"

Edward sighed in relief. "I'm glad I won't have to hurt my sister. But what are you doing that is so much torture?"

I laughed before responding. "You should ask her, it's too hard to hold the phone to my ear with all of this foil on my head. I'm starting to pick up radio stations."

"What?" was all I heard as I handed the phone to Alice. She walked to the front of the salon and stood by the floor to ceiling front window. While she talked to him, she repeatedly looked back and forth across the expanse of the street.

_That's strange,_ I thought. It was almost as if she was looking for someone. I didn't dwell on that thought since the stylist started removing the foil from my hair.

While my hair was blown dry after the dye had been washed out, I noticed that Alice kept looking out the front window of the salon.

Looking at the final product, I had to admit my hair looked really good. I now had both deep auburn and lighter brown highlights throughout my shoulder length hair.

"Oh Bella, your hair is beautiful. You are going to look so gorgeous in the outfit I bought for you." She was very excited that she had bought an outfit for me on the sly. I was sure it involved showing some leg, which made me uncomfortable.

Alice grabbed my hand and led me out of the salon. As soon as I stepped onto the sidewalk behind her, I collided with a hard male body and lost my balance. I prepared myself for a bone jarring hit on the concrete sidewalk.

As a strong hand caught my arm to steady me before I fell, I realized I knew the giant who ran into me. He just wasn't as muscle bound when I had seen him last. "Jacob, what are you doing in Port Angeles?"

"My dad and I are doing some errands. And a few other things," Jacob explained. After he looked Alice up and down, he asked, "Who's your friend?"

"This is my friend, Alice." As I was making the introductions, I felt the tension around us rise. Alice was staring at Jacob suspiciously, neither one of them saying a word.

"Have you been following us today?" Alice demanded. That must be why she kept looking over her shoulder while we shopped and out the window while I got my hair done.

"Er, um, no," Jacob stammered and looked away towards the road.

"Alice, why would you ask such a rude thing?" I asked, somewhat insulted that I didn't notice anything amiss earlier in the day. "Please tell me you weren't following us."

"Listen Bella, you're not supposed to know. Charlie wanted us to check up on you, make sure you were okay since there has been trouble up here."

"What, besides trying to ruin her new hairdo?" Alice seethed. She wouldn't even look in Jake's direction. I wondered why they seemed to instantly dislike each other.

His face twisted with anger. "She ran into me. It's not my fault," he said to Alice. After directing his gaze to me, he spoke again in a much softer tone. "Your hair still looks nice. Kind of fake, but still nice."

"Gee, thanks for such a half-assed compliment." Why were guys so rude?

An uncomfortable silence settled over the three of us. After a minute, Jacob was the first to speak. "I see that you're fine and in one piece. I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell Charlie you caught us."

"That's for me to decide," I huffed. "I told him that Alice and I would be careful." If only Charlie knew what Alice was. He wouldn't worry about our safety if he was in on the secret.

"She won't tell." Alice sensed my anger and betrayal at not being trusted by my own father. She lightly touched my arm. "It's nice to have Charlie love you so much that he would send someone to make sure you were okay."

"I guess you're right." I said to her, stepping a little closer to him. "Your secret is safe with me, Jacob."

After a quick goodbye, Jacob walked the opposite direction than we did, presumably to find Billy.

Alice and I drove in silence towards Forks, neither of us attempting to speak. The quiet gave me time to think. She repeatedly looked over her shoulder the entire time we were in Port Angeles. Had Jacob been following us the whole time?

I broke the silence first. "Were we being followed the whole time we were in Port Angeles?"

"Yes, we were. But I'm not sure that mongrel was the only one following us."

"How can you be sure? I mean, who else would trail us?" My breathing increased as I remembered how James had tracked me to Phoenix with the sole intent of murdering me.

She sensed my increasing panic. "Calm down. James is dead, he can't hurt you." She increased the speed of the car, making me hold on even tighter to the arm rest.

I concentrated on pushing the panic back down. I repeated _breathe in, and out,_ slowly in my head, in time with each shallow breath I took.

After a few minutes I was calm enough to speak again. "Does Edward know that someone was following us?"

Alice took a curve at a much faster speed than I felt comfortable with. "I told him I thought someone was following us, but he doesn't know that it was Jacob."

"I better call him and let him know about Jake" I said, not wanting Edward to needlessly worry or come home early. It was important that everything with Jasper was hashed out before they came home.

"You should do so right now, he needs to know your father sent a man and a puppy to look out for you."

I looked at her strangely. Why would she call Jacob a puppy? I filed that comment away for future reference. "Whatever, I'll call him now and let him know everything is ok. We know who was following us."

"Only two of the things following us," Alice said very quietly, so low I barely heard the words she muttered under her breath.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: As usual, props to my beta's OnePushyFox and Erikasbuddy. They're the best.**

**Disclaimer: How I wish I had as much money as Stephenie Meyer, but that's not to be. She does, however, own all of these wonderful characters.**

* * *

Chapter 5

EPOV

I retched while I dropped the limp, lifeless body to the ground. As I wiped away the crimson sustenance that stained my lips, I wondered what the hell was wrong with me. Ingesting animals was never pleasant, but it soothed the intense burn in my throat and kept my conscience clear. Even the finest big game did nothing to quench the yearning for human blood right now. But I only wanted one human's blood, that of my dear Bella.

"You're not going to finish that?" Emmett called across the ravine and broke my internal self-loathing.

"It's all yours. I've had all I can stand," I answered. After Bella gave me an intentional taste of her herself a few nights ago, I've forced myself to eat in the family- acceptable way. It took three 10-point bucks last night just to change the hue of my eyes from red ringed back to the unnatural amber we hid behind.

In the blink of an eye Emmett was across the wooded area and started finishing off the mountain lion. "Aw, it's starting to get cold," he grumbled. But that didn't stop him from indulging himself with my kill. "What time are we meeting Jasper?"

"He's getting close. I'm starting to sense him now." I felt the faint whispers of his mind. I also heard the worried thoughts that emanated from Carlisle before he appeared in the ravine.

He opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off before any words escaped his lips. "We're going to have a civil conversation, Carlisle. You don't have to worry."

"Speak for yourself. I'm up for a good wrestling match any day." Emmett was such a primitive male in some ways.

Carlisle frowned at Emmett before he spoke again. "Don't forget that both of you have had control issues in the past. Either one of you could have reacted just as Jasper did."

Before the conversation went any further, Jasper appeared in front of us.

"Speak of the devil," Emmett bellowed. He followed his declaration with a large grin.

"Hello Carlisle. Emmett," he said with a slight nod of his head. When he turned to greet me, he looked nervously to the side. "Edward," his words coming out slow and thick into the mountain air.

"Jasper," I said, clenching my jaw tightly. I heard the rush of tangled thoughts that flowed through his mind. Not all of them were as nice and calm as Jasper would like us to believe.

No one said a word for a few tense seconds. We all stood motionless as we waited to react in a physical way if necessary.

Carlisle sighed heavily. "We are family, boys. This entire situation is not serious enough to break us apart. We've been through worse."

"This is true, guys," Emmett said. "Why don't you two kiss and make up so we can head home. Rose is waiting for me."

"I'm game if Edward is," Jasper said evenly as he shifted his gaze from Emmett to me. I felt his influence flood over me as he forced me to relax.

"We'll talk about this only if you stop manipulating my emotions," I growled. "We should have enough respect for each other to not play these games."

Jasper shut off his influence and smirked. "Fine. Have it your way."

Carlisle and Emmett looked at each other nervously before turning back to stare at us. Both of them expected things to turn physical at any second. I couldn't deny that I wanted a piece of Jasper for myself after his attempted attack on Bella.

"You need to understand that I will not tolerate any incidents towards Bella. She's human and she bleeds. But she's not going anywhere, so get used to it."

"According to Alice, you were pretty quick to throw her aside a few days ago. And now you say she's not going anywhere? Doesn't look like I'm the only unpredictable one here, does it?"

The remark from Jasper stung, but I didn't visibly react. "I made a mistake. It was my choice and I made the wrong one. Just like you made the wrong decision when you advanced on Bella at her party."

Jasper outwardly appeared unaffected by the verbal jousting we were executing. "I'm sorry I started for her Edward. I've let everyone down." My brother looked sorry and I could tell from his inner monologue that he truly was regretful.

"You have to promise me you won't hurt her in the future. I won't hesitate to take you down if you try," I said, even though I wasn't sure if this was an empty threat or not.

"All I can promise is that I'll try my best. For you and for Alice." Jasper smiled and held out his hand.

"Aw, hug already. This is getting too awkward here." Emmett laughed. "You two are worse than the women."

Jasper withdrew his hand. "Shut it, Emmett. No one wants to hear what you think."

The four of us walked out of the ravine as Carlisle talked of ways to get Jasper back in Bella's good graces. She was very forgiving, as evidenced by her willingness to fight for me. Hopefully she would not have a problem being around him in the future.

I worried about Jasper's thin control for human blood. I must have let the worry show in my face as Emmett and I walked behind Carlisle and Jasper.

"Don't worry, Edward. I already think of her as my sister. It wouldn't be the same without her around. She keeps us on our toes and I don't want to see her hurt," Emmett said. As he started to run through the trees, he had one last thought for me. _Jasper won't eat Bella. I won't let him._

Emmett was right about one thing. If anyone would taste Bella, it would be me. She was mine and only mine. I was not willing to share.

BPOV

I tossed and turned in Edward's bed. I knew I was safe in the Cullen's home, but the events from earlier in the day worried me. This was his room, but the bed was new. As I untangled myself from the sheets, I longed for his presence; even his scent would help calm me. But there was nothing here to alleviate my discomfort. When I realized sleep would not find me, I went downstairs to see what any of the sleepless ladies were up to at this late hour.

Rosalie exited another bedroom at the same time I closed Edward's door. I gave her a quick nod as I passed her in the hallway leading to the hardwood stairs. She had made herself scarce the entire time I was here. She obviously had her reasons and I was too exhausted to wrap my mind around them now.

I didn't find Alice on the main level, but Esme was in the library using the computer. "Bella, dear," she said. "It's nearly two in the morning. Can't you sleep?"

"I guess I'm having trouble getting comfortable," I replied softly.

"Why don't I make you some chamomile tea? It always soothed me when I was human." Esme gently took me by the hand, as if I was her child, and led me to the kitchen. This small gesture comforted me and I instantly felt calmer.

I silently watched her open a cabinet and take out a modern stainless steel tea kettle, fill it with water, and place it on the stove. She left the kitchen but returned quickly with an antique looking china tea service.

As she busied herself with making the tea and pouring it into a single bone-white tea cup, a small sigh escaped my lips. "You've been so nice to me, Esme. Thank you," I hesitated. "For everything."

Sitting down on the opposite side of the table, she smiled back. "It's my pleasure. I enjoy having someone new to fuss over. Plus, I'll admit I miss the cooking aspect of being human. You've given me an excuse to use my Grandmother's china for the first time in many years."

"It's nice having someone to trouble over me. I can't remember the last time I wasn't doing everything for myself or for Renee and Charlie." I stared at the steaming liquid in front of me while the enormity of what I had just admitted out loud hung in the air.

"Oh," Esme whispered. She seemed genuinely surprised that I had to fend for myself so often. "When you were with your mother, didn't she take care of you like this?" she asked as she passed a china bowl full of sugar cubes towards me.

I shifted uncomfortably in the wooden dining chair. "Sometimes she would. But mainly I took care of her when it came to things like this." I added one cube and concentrated on stirring my tea with a shiny silver teaspoon.

She gently placed her hand over mine across the table and gave my hand a slight pat. "Well dear, now you have me to pamper you. And I'm very happy to do it."

Tears flooded my eyes and threatened to spill over onto my cheeks. I drank the tea in silence, trying to gain the strength to not cry in front of Esme. My tears won. As I wiped the first tears away with a pale cream colored linen napkin, I had to fight the lump that had formed in my throat before I could speak. "I'm sorry for being so emotional. I don't know what has come over me."

Esme came around the table and pulled me into her slight frame. As she hugged me warmly, she rubbed small circles on my back. "Your life hasn't been easy, Bella," she said softly. "You have been the adult when you should have been a child. It's okay to act that way once in a while."

"These last few days have been hard. Especially with the whole Edward situation and my dad having someone follow Alice and me in Port Angeles." I pulled back from her embrace to wipe my eyes once more. "Thanks for letting me … get this off my chest."

"There's nothing wrong with addressing our feelings. It's when we shut down all emotions that the real problems begin."

I covered my mouth to hide the large yawn that escaped my lips. "I think I can sleep now. Thanks, Esme."

"It's what I'm here for," she said with a smile while she cleaned up the china dishes.

X0X0X0X0X0X0X0

My eyes fluttered open to a room filled with sunlight. It took only a few minutes for me to fall asleep in Edward's bed on my second attempt. I don't know if it was Esme's tea, our discussion, or a combination of both that had put me at ease. I wasn't sure how long I had slept, but I felt wonderful upon waking.

"Good morning, my love," Edward whispered. I jumped slightly because I didn't realize he was sprawled next to me on the bed.

"Morning," I said. "When did you get home?" I tried to smooth the wild mess that was my hair.

"We arrived about a half hour ago. Esme wanted me to wake you for lunch. Something about lasagna her mother used to make."

"She doesn't have to go to all that trouble." But deep inside me I really did appreciate that she was going to the trouble. The nurturing care that she had given me this weekend had healed a small part of my heart. It affected the part of me that should have been filled with such actions from my own mother.

"Esme is truly happy when she has someone to take care of. And judging by the way she's singing in the kitchen right now, you've made her very happy." Edward helped me sit up, his hand lingering on my thigh.

"I'm sure she's just happy to have her entire family back under the same roof," I speculated.

As I gathered clean clothes and other necessities from my bag, Edward gazed at me contentedly before he spoke. "I'm pretty sure she considers you to be just as much a part of the family as I am."

My cheeks reddened, flushing hotly as I contemplated what he meant. Before I knew it, he was standing before me. His icy hand covered my cheek while his thumb rubbed lightly back and forth. "How I've missed that blush." His eyes were alight with an amber glow. "And I really missed you."

I fought to stay upright as my knees weakened when his lips met mine in a slow and lingering kiss. My hands skimmed under his shirt across his hard abs, pulling him closer. He responded as a smooth hand crept up my side, over my tank top towards my shoulder and skimming the side of my breast. A low growl escaped his throat while I trembled from his glancing touch. We both were pushing the boundaries today.

"I- I better take a shower. I don't want to be late for Esme's lunch," I stammered. This was something I would rather do in private, not in a house full of vampires with superior hearing.

Edward looked disappointed for a moment before he unwound the arm that snaked around my waist and stepped back. "That's probably for the best. I'll wait downstairs."

When I had finished showering and dressing, I followed a wonderful smell down to the kitchen. Esme placed a huge slice of lasagna on a plate. I noticed she was using her Grandmother's china set for me again. This plate had the same delicate pink and blue flowers that the tea service had painted onto the delicate bone colored china.

As I sat down, she placed the hot pasta in front of me and smiled expectantly. "I haven't made this recipe in so many years, but I clearly remember making this with my mother when I was a girl."

Sensing that Esme was waiting for me to take a bite before she would sit down too, I cut a small portion and brought it to my lips. "Oh. This is delicious. Too bad you don't have to cook more often." Who knew Esme was such a good cook?

"Are you sure you're not fibbing, Bella?" a booming voice said from the next room. Emmett walked into the kitchen and leaned against the kitchen counter. "It's been forever since she's had to cook anything edible. Maybe she's rusty."

"If you like clean clothes, Emmett, you might want to keep those types of comments to yourself," she scolded.

He held his hands up and laughed. "I'm kidding. The men in this family go away for a few days and the women are so hormonal now."

I smiled at them and continued to eat. I wasn't about to waste the opportunity to eat something this good, especially when I didn't have to cook it or clean up afterwards.

Alice and Edward walked into the kitchen as I chewed the last scrumptious bite.

"I was just telling Edward how much fun we had shopping yesterday." She eyed my damp hair glumly. "Did he even get to appreciate your new hair style before you maimed it in the shower?"

"Hey, we sent him pictures last night. Isn't that enough?" I asked defensively. "I slept on it. There's no way it would look the same this morning."

Edward just smiled while Alice looked at me as if I had just lied to her. "Oh, right. You do have to sleep."

"Honestly, Alice. Sometimes you're oblivious to the obvious," Jasper said when he stopped in the doorway to the kitchen.

I instinctively froze in place at the sound of his voice, my heart pumping wildly in my chest. Edward protectively wrapped his arms around me. The air was thick with tension and the unknown.

"It's okay guys. Jasper won't hurt you. Plus, it's not like you're bleeding or anything," Alice added nonchalantly.

Edward loosened his grip on me, but only slightly. "Don't you have something to say to Bella?" he asked Jasper.

Jasper nodded and took a step further into the kitchen. Panic started to well up in my throat, but I pushed it down knowing that I was protected by Edward.

"I'm sorry for losing control at your party. It won't happen again." Jasper unblinkingly stared straight into my eyes when he apologized, and it was disconcerting.

I mustered up the strength to speak and willed myself to appear calm. "Apology accepted." I lied through my teeth.

Seeming satisfied with the cursory request for forgiveness, Edward released me and asked "Are you ready to go?"

"Sure, I have homework to finish before school tomorrow." He lightly pushed me out the other door in the kitchen, avoiding a closer approach to Jasper.

X0X0X0X0X0X0X0

My shoulders and back ached. Edward dropped me off at home three hours ago. Charlie was watching a ball game with Billy Black in the family room, so after a quick greeting I worked on my homework in my bedroom. When I couldn't take hunching over my desk any longer, I decided to grab something to eat.

There was a loud knock at the front door just as I reached the bottom of the stairs. "I'll get it," I yelled.

"Hi, beautiful." Mike Newton stood on my front porch. Even though it was dusk, his eyes were hidden by dark black sunglasses. "Wow, you look and smell even better now."

"Hey, Mike. I smell better?" I asked. Did that mean that I smelled bad before? "Um, thanks. I got my hair done. What are you doing here?" Really, what was he doing here? I don't remember when I talked to him last.

He tried looking around me into the house nonchalantly, before returning what I assumed was his gaze to me. "I just got back from vacation. So I thought I'd stop by and say hi."

"Hi," I said as I gave him a quick wave of my hand. I hadn't even noticed he wasn't at school. Then again, I didn't really hang out with the old group very much since I was with Edward. I'm sure they would describe me as having my head up his butt. "You couldn't wait until we were at school tomorrow?" I asked and plastered a fake smile on my face.

"Nope. Did I miss anything while I was away?" He looked behind him nervously.

Something was definitely off with him, maybe he was drunk or high. "The usual. I think Eric got a french fry stuck in his nose last week."

"I see." He wiped his smooth hands on his pants while I took a step back. "Why don't we go to a movie or something?"

"I have homework to finish before school tomorrow." He frowned when I turned his invitation down. I swallowed loudly and grabbed the door knob when his frown turned fierce.

"Come on, Bella. Just a few hours and I'll bring you right back. You can even pick the movie."

"I don't really feel like seeing a movie. Maybe some other time? We can get everyone together and go as a group." _Safety in numbers_, right?

Mike took two steps closer, stopping mere inches from my body. I was definitely uncomfortable with this lack of personal space. "No, I think we need to go _now_."

"I said, "No". I'll see you at school." He didn't take the not-so-subtle hint. I wasn't going anywhere with him alone while he acted so oddly. I started to close the front door, but Mike grabbed the edge and held it in place.

"Who's at the door, Bells," Charlie said with a raised voice. "Is Jacob here yet?"

Before I could answer, Jacob pulled into our driveway in his father's truck. He exited quickly, leaving the door wide open. He stomped towards us, anger clouding his face. "Who are you and what are you doing to Bella?" Jacob growled.

Mike tensed and grabbed my forearm in a painfully tight grip. I tried to pull away from him, but his hand was like a vice on my arm. "She was just leaving with me," he said as he tried to pull me from the porch.

"No," I yelped, pulling backwards to break his hold on me. His grip on me held firm. "Please let me go."

Jacob had reached the bottom of the wooden stairs and glared menacingly at Mike. "Let go of her. She obviously doesn't want to go anywhere with you."

"Alright, alright," Mike released my arm. "See you around, Bella." He pushed his way past Jacob, moving his impressive bulk out of the way with ease.

Jacob and I stood there in stunned silence as Mike disappeared into the forest behind my neighbor's house.

"Did he hurt you?" he asked as he pulled up the sleeve of my shirt, revealing a dark purple bruise in the shape of Mike's hand that was blossoming across my forearm.

I gasped at how warm Jacob's hand was. "I'm alright. Are you getting sick? You're burning up." A thin sheen of sweat covered his forehead.

"I'm not feeling so good. Maybe I'm getting the flu or something," he said as he mopped at his brow with the back of a large tan hand.

"We better go in before Charlie gets worried." I turned and walked through the door, Jacob following close behind.

As we reached the family room, Charlie turned to us. "Hey, Jake. Bells, who was at the door?"

"It was Mike Newton, Dad," I answered. No need to tell him about what just happened. I didn't want to get Mike in trouble if he was drunk or something. Why else would he have acted that way towards me?

Billy and Charlie looked at each other before Charlie spoke to us. "Hmm. I guess we can call off that missing persons alert for Michael Newton."

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**A/N: Things are about to get pretty intense starting with the next chapter. A teaser for chapter 6 will be up on Wednesday on my blog (callofdutywidowfiction(dot)blogspot(dot)com). I'm hmmille on Twitter. Please spread the word and review if you've enjoyed this fic. Thanks for reading and see you next Sunday.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks to Erikasbuddy for her beta skills as usual. **

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Chapter 6

EPOV

I tried to hide my smile as I stealthily read the latest text message from Bella. Thankfully I was joining my beloved in the school lunchroom in just a few moments. I hit reply as everyone packed up their books and typed my answer at lightning speed.

_Of course I want to kiss you, my love. Can't wait to kiss those sweet lips and work my way down._ I hit send and ghosted through the door, headed for the cafeteria.

I couldn't believe Bella and I had been exchanging intimate text messages all morning. I guess we were both pretty worked up after the intense moments we had in my car before school. The ten minutes we spent together before class made my morning, but totally ruined the rest of my school day since I couldn't touch her the way I needed to. Our little digital exchanges were a fitting distraction. I really loved technology.

Before my body had even hit the chair in my first period class, vibrations from my jacket pocket alerted me to the first message from Bella.

_Must get you alone again, very soon. Love you. B xoxo_

The text messages flew back and forth between us, getting a little racier with each one. The latest message arrived in my phone's inbox when I rounded the corner and walked in to see the most beautiful girl waiting for me at our usual table.

_Where are those gorgeous lips going to touch me next?_

Bella was seriously trying my control today. There was nothing I wanted more than to take her away from this hell hole of a school and see much more of her in private. The problem was I didn't think I could hold myself together.

I nearly tripped over a stray back pack that was haphazardly abandoned in the aisle while I read the new message, but I caught myself before anyone noticed. Well, anyone except for Bella. She snorted loudly and slapped her thigh as she unsuccessfully tried to hold her fit of laughter in.

"I guess texting and walking can make even you clumsy," she said as I kissed her cheek.

"Very funny, why don't you try to do it?"

"I know my limitations," she replied and kissed me lightly on the lips.

I sat down next to her and started to lightly massage her wrist. I rubbed so softly that she withdrew her arm quickly. "Stop it, Edward. That tickles." Of course I continued to tickle my way up her arm, pushing up her sleeve as I went. What I saw made me freeze with shock and instant anger.

"Who has touched you," I growled. Bella jerked her sleeve down to cover the four finger shaped purple marks covering her forearm.

"It's nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about?" I barked out too loudly. Lowering my voice, I continued my interrogation. "Who has laid their hands on you? Tell me now and I'll take care of them."

"It's really nothing. Mike stopped by yesterday and asked me to go to the movies. I think he was on something because he was acting really weird."

"Did he leave this hand print on you?"

"Yes. I don't think he did it on purpose. He just tried to lead me off the porch with him. But Jacob showed up and Mike left."

Why Bella was acting so nonchalant about this really worried me. But I had more immediate concerns. The biggest one was finding Mike Newton and leaving more than a few bruises on him. I scanned the cafeteria and hoped to find this waste of skin amongst the students, but he wasn't here.

"Why the hell didn't you call me as soon as this happened? Didn't you think I would notice?" I snapped.

"Quite frankly I had forgotten about it. You have no right to give me the third degree about a little bruise when you didn't even bother to tell me that Jasper was back at your house since yesterday."

"I was there to protect you. You knew he was coming back with us."

Bella's face had turned increasingly red. Embarrassment was certainly not the source of the rose hue this time. "A little fucking warning would have been nice!" she snapped.

"Fine. I should have told you he was in the house." This was a really different Bella with her being so aggressive. "Can we focus on the fact that you've been assaulted by that asshole?" I quickly scanned the cafeteria again, hoping to find the moron who dared hurt my girlfriend.

"Don't bother looking for him. He hasn't been here in over a week." Bella turned her attention to the food before her.

I waited for her to explain how she knew that Mike hadn't been at school but she just chewed slowly and carefully. It felt like an eternity before she continued. "Charlie said he was listed as a missing person until he showed up at our house last night."

"He was the missing person your dad was talking about?" I wonder where that little annoyance was during his hiatus and what made him think he could take Bella anywhere alone.

"Yeah. And it was strange how he just ran off as soon as Jake showed up. I don't think Mike wanted to catch the plague that Jake has. I've never seen anyone look as sick and sweaty as Jake did yesterday."

Before I commented on whether or not Bella was incubating this so called plague, Alice showed up at the table. "I've got a surprise for you two," she sang. The tension between Bella and I immediately fell away since we were united against whatever scheme Alice was going to present us with today.

Bella looked momentarily annoyed before calm reclaimed her face. "We already went shopping. The surprise better not be another shopping trip."

"Not a shopping trip." She shifted her gaze from Bella to me. "Edward, your guess?"

As she waited patiently for me to read her mind and gain access to the surprise, all I saw in her thoughts were scenes from a horror movie she had watched with Jasper last night. She successfully blocked me out of her true thoughts.

"You're going on a murderous rampage against humans?" At least that's what happened in the movie she had watched.

"Ha! You couldn't pluck the surprise out of my head, could you?" Alice looked triumphant as she whipped out her cell phone and starting texting like crazy.

Bella grabbed my hand with a death grip. "Edward, she scares me with all of these surprises."

"She's scaring me too," I whispered in Bella's ear. "And I've had a long time to get used to how she is."

Alice sent her last text and beamed a bright smile at both of us. "There, it's all settled for Friday night."

X0X0X0X0X0X0

"You look great," I said as I stood up to greet Bella. She had kept me waiting downstairs with Charlie for ten minutes while she finished getting ready for our date. Judging by her blue button up shirt and dark skinny jeans, she was dressed in clothes that were a bit tighter than she normally wore. What was really different was her hair and makeup. Since Alice had got her a makeover while I was meeting Jasper, Bella hadn't really done much with her new hairstyle. But for tonight, she had placed loose curls in her hair and placed half of it up so I could see her face completely. While she didn't need to wear makeup to be beautiful, she had applied a little bit that accentuated her delicate features.

"Be home by 10," Charlie commanded from his recliner. After answering the door with a grunt when I knocked, he had watched a ball game in silence the rest of the time I was in the house.

"Dad," Bella whined. "The movie won't even be over by then. We're going to the 9 o'clock showing since we're meeting Alice for dinner first."

"Fine. Midnight. But one minute late and you won't be leaving this house again until you're thirty."

"Bye," Bella called over her shoulder as she pulled me out the door. When we were safely in my car, we were able to give each other a proper greeting.

We drove out of Forks and I respectfully kept the speed of the car under control. As soon as we left the city limits I sped up so fast, Bella held on to the console as though she were hanging on for dear life.

"Seriously, Edward," she gasped. "Remember that I'm the breakable one here."

I just smiled and eased off the accelerator, bringing the car's velocity down to a mere twenty miles per hour over the speed limit.

Alice had planned out the entire night for us. We were instructed to go to an early movie so we could return for a late dinner prepared by Esme. She was very eager to cook for Bella again. I saw her perusing several cook books during the week while she was planning the menu.

As we made our way to Port Angeles, I placed my hand on Bella's thigh while I drove. She must not have minded the placement of my hand since she covered it with her own. And she certainly didn't push it away as I slowly moved it higher.

The movie she picked was a romantic comedy, which seriously made me wish that I could fall asleep. So I casually watched Bella as she ate popcorn and enjoyed the movie. It wasn't that hard for me to shut out everyone's thoughts, especially since most humans seemed to go brain dead when watching a movie like this. There certainly wasn't much thought power needed to follow such a predictable tale.

When we arrived at our home, Esme had everything ready. The dining room table was set up with her china again. Bella's single place setting did not seem as lonely as it would if this house was full of humans.

After she was seated Emmett brought out a tray of hors d'oeuvres. Tiny spinach quiches and a variety of cheeses were lined up on the silver platter.

"Hey, Emmett." Bella said after politely taking one of each item on the tray.

"Yes, Bella?"

"Where's your waiter outfit?" She snickered while he frowned. He was wearing a pair of black track pants and a green muscle t-shirt with black Nikes. I heard the quiet snorts of laughter from the rest of my family who were scattered around the house.

"Esme wanted me to change, but I refused. I didn't want you to dump Eddie here and come after me since I would look way too hot to resist." He winked at her, bowed at the waist, and went back into the kitchen. This even made me laugh. What a smart ass.

I just shook my head back and forth. "You do realize that the more you make fun of Emmett, the more he's going to mess with you back?"

"Oh, I know that. He's like the big brother I never had. I really enjoy busting his chops."

Emmett continued to serve Bella just as he promised Alice and Esme that he would. He brought each new course and cleared the dirty dishes away. He was actually very efficient. If we weren't already rich, I would say he had found his calling.

Esme had really outdone herself with this feast. She had prepared a soup, salad, main course of steak and twice baked potatoes, and a dessert of chocolate mousse. With each course that he brought out, he was rewarded with a large smile from Bella. And a groan when she saw how little empty space there was on the plate.

"I think Esme is trying to fatten me up," she said once the chocolate mousse arrived. "Is this the vampire version of _Hansel and Gretel_?"

I just looked at her with a stunned look on my face. "How could you think such a thing?"

"It was a joke, Edward." She reached for my hand, covering it with her own. "Which one of you is going to eat me when I'm ready anyway?"

I think the huge amount of food she had ingested was starting to make her irrational. I took her bait anyway. "That would be my job. I have dibs," I said quietly into her ear.

She smiled slightly and cocked an eyebrow. "That can be arranged. In moderation and only if you're a good boy."

She finished the dessert and called out for Emmett. "Oh, garçon! We are finished."

Emmett walked back out to collect the remaining dishes. "You sure everything tasted good? I'm still not convinced that Esme can cook up some edible grub."

"Tell Esme that everything was perfect. And you were wonderful too." She got up from her chair and kissed Emmett on the cheek. I swear that if vampires could blush, Emmett would be the color of a tomato right now.

"Um, yeah. I'm just gonna bring these into the kitchen. Esme has me on kitchen clean up duty too."

When he had disappeared into the kitchen, Bella held out her hands to me. I stood in front of her, our hands entwined between us.

"Is he in trouble or something? I didn't think I'd ever see him wait on people."

Before I could answer Bella, Rosalie opened the door leading from the garage into the house. "Of course he's in trouble. He broke another one of Esme's expensive vases with a football again."

Bella doubled over in a fit of laughter. "No wonder he was being so domestic. And I was beginning to think it was just because he liked me so much."

BPOV

"Let's go for a walk in the woods," he said, while he gently tugged me towards the back door.

"This is like déjà vu. What makes you think I'd be so keen on walking in the forest with you?" I could feel the panic well up in my chest. But this was different and the woods outside weren't the same ones as before. He wouldn't leave me so far from home.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't even realize how I'd phrased that before it was too late." He grabbed my hand and brushed his lips across my knuckles. "I wouldn't dream of trying that again. You'd have to kill me first."

I released the death grip that I had on the edge of the door and entwined my hand with his as he helped me down the stairs and towards a trail into the trees. "So why exactly are we going for a walk in the pitch black woods?"

"I thought it would be nice to get some fresh air after your meal. And I wanted you all to myself without other people's thoughts swimming through my head."

As we walked hand in hand lazily through the dense woods, we didn't talk. Being in each other's company was enough. After about fifteen minutes, the trail we were following became much muddier. Edward couldn't catch me before I fell in a giant mud puddle.

"Gross. Now I'm covered in slimy dirt." I just sat in the filth, waiting for Edward to help me up. But he was too busy laughing at me to offer his assistance. A large handful of mud thrown at his chest silenced his guffaws really quickly.

"Hey, I wasn't dirty before. Thanks a lot." He uselessly tried to brush the mud away but just spread the dark brown stain on his light blue shirt.

"That's what you get for laughing at me instead of helping me up." I pushed myself up off the soggy ground and held my muddy hands away from myself.

Edward's cell phone rang for a second before he picked it up. "Hello, Alice."

After a minute of short conversation, he hung up. "Let's head back to the house to get you cleaned up. Alice said she has some clothes for you in my closet."

"Why would she put some clothes for me in your room?" I asked before I really thought about what I had asked. "She knew this would happen, didn't she?"

"You'll have to ask her when she knew you would be graceful and swan dive into a muddy pit." He smiled and offered me his hand. "It's not that uncommon for you to fall, maybe Alice is just prepared for anything?"

When I glared at him, he pulled me close and kissed the clean top of my head.

"I'm making you even dirtier this way."

"Hop on," he offered as he pulled me onto his back. "I'm already muddy and we'll get back faster this way. We only have an hour and a half until I have to get you home."

He wasn't joking when he said we would get back faster. What had taken me fifteen minutes to hike took him about three minutes to run.

As I glanced up at the house, I noticed there were no lights on. "Where'd everyone go?" I wondered aloud.

"They went hunting and won't be back until after I take you home."

I leaned down to take off my now ruined shoes so I wouldn't leave a giant trail to Edward's room. He held on to my waist to steady me, instantly making blood rush not only to my cheeks but elsewhere. When I had kicked off both of the shoes and left them neatly on the porch, I stood up and leaned into his chest. It was nice to be totally alone with him right now, his hard body hovering over mine.

"Let's get you cleaned up," he said as he held the door open for me. We walked to his room next to each other in silence.

As I headed towards the bathroom, Edward poked his head through the doorway. "I'll get you some fresh towels. Be right back."

"Please hurry," I said and kissed him lightly on the lips.

He turned quickly and disappeared out of the room. I stripped off the muddy clothes I was wearing, leaving me in only my bra and panties to wash my hands in the sink.

I saw Edward's reflection in the mirror as he entered the bathroom. I caught him by surprise by being mostly undressed when he returned with the promised towels. He remained in the open door, frozen in place and looking over my entire body.

"Care to join me?" I spoke to his reflection in the mirror again when I didn't receive an answer. "Edward?"

He cleared his throat and stopped the statue routine. "You're bleeding."

"What? I didn't think I hurt myself when I fell."

He took two tentative steps in my direction and pointed a finger at me. "On your lower back, right hand side."

I twisted my torso and craned my neck, trying to see the spot he was talking about.

"I could take a look at it for you," he said apprehensively.

"Sure. What are you waiting for?"

He crossed the remaining distance between us in a flash, kneeling behind me to get a better look at the cut while holding me still with his cool hands on my hips. I placed my palms on the counter to balance myself, locking my elbows in place.

I shivered as a cold finger floated across the cut.

"Bella, please hold still," he commanded.

He licked the blood from my skin in one long stroke, carefully avoiding the open wound.

I moaned, reacting to the feel of his tongue on my bare flesh. "Am I still bleeding?"

"Yes, very sluggishly." He continued to press small kisses around the affected area.

"Mmm," was all I managed to say.

Without asking for permission, he sealed his lips around the gash in my skin and began to gently suck.

"Oh, Edward," I said, heat pooling between my legs. He sucked harder. I could just imagine what it would be like for him to do the same on other parts of me. This was such an intimate act and I couldn't hold back. "Touch me," I pleaded breathlessly.

As I leaned against the black granite, Edward's right hand rubbed up my side and across my breast. As he rubbed his fingers over my bra, he growled low in his chest while he searched for my tight peak. His mouth did not move from my back as he slowly explored my body.

When he found the spot I was hoping for, he took the pink hardness between his fingers through the lace and gently squeezed. I arched my back slightly at the contact, reveling in the new found intimacy we had achieved.

"I told you not to move," he whispered sternly in my ear after he ascended my body and found my other breast with his free hand. As his body pressed against mine, I could feel how much he was enjoying himself through his jeans.

"No fair," I whimpered. "You're still dressed." I spun around in his arms, hoping to help him out of some of his clothes.

"And you're still muddy." I looked down at my forearms, finally noticing the dirt I didn't get a chance to rinse off.

"I guess we should get to that shower," I said as I unbuttoned his black shirt slowly.

"I'm not sure that's a good plan right now."

I searched his now red eyes with my own, silently pleading for him to change his mind. "Alice would let us know if I'm in danger. She hasn't called so I think we're good." I reached behind my back, unhooking my bra and letting it fall forward to the floor in one quick move.

He sucked in a deep breath, pushing the air back out in a hiss. "Damn it, Bella. This—is not – a good. Oh, fuck it." He crashed his lips to mine, smashing our bare chests together. I've never heard him speak like this, but it really turned me on.

I struggled with his jeans while he pushed his hand down the back of my panties and cupped my ass. I finally yanked his pants free, his arousal straining at his boxers.

Since we were going in a bold new direction and I wasn't sure when he was going to regain his sense of composure with our carnal activities, I palmed his erection through the material. He quickly swept my hand away and tugged the last physical barrier between us down his legs. One forceful tug and my panties ripped in half and fell from my body in a shredded heap.

Breathing heavily, I couldn't help but think aloud. "I never thought we'd see each other like this."

He didn't answer and leaned into the open shower to turn on the water. As I entered the granite tiled enclosure, a buzzing sounded from the pile of clothes I had left on the floor.

"You should answer that, Bella."

"I'll get it when we're done. Get in here, I'm lonely." I already missed the physical contact we had just seconds before.

He pulled on his boxers so I knew I had lost. I turned off the water right before he answered the call, and he turned the phone on speaker so I wouldn't have to touch it with my soaking wet hands.

"Hello?" I said into the phone that was anchored to Edward's outstretched hand.

"It's time to come home. I want you locked safely inside our house in thirty minutes." It was Charlie on the phone.

"But it's not midnight yet," I answered, not trying to hide the disappointment in my voice.

"Just get home. A girl from your class has gone missing and we're pretty sure foul play is involved."

Any desire to fight my father on this drained away. "Who's missing now?"

"Lauren Mallory. Why is there an echo? Bells, where are you at right now?"

Oh crap, how was I going to explain this. "I'm in the bathroom at Alice and Edward's."

"Okay. I expect you home very shortly. Call me from home when you get there."

"I'll have Edward drive me home now."

Edward ended the call got pulled his pants on as I wrapped myself in a plush white oversized towel.

"I believe Alice said everything you need is in the closet and this chest of drawers."

"Thanks." I grabbed the first long sleeved shirt and pair of jeans that I could find. Searching in the drawers for new underwear and socks was a snap, since Alice had everything organized and lined up. There was even a new pair of running shoes for me on the rack. She really had everything I could ever need in here.

"Just leave your stuff in the bathroom, I'll take care of it later."

The sound of a door slamming and footsteps heralded the arrival of Edward's family.

"I don't think it's a good idea for you to talk to them right now," I said when he walked towards his bedroom door.

"Why not? They need to know that someone else has gone missing."

"You're going to want some sunglasses or something to hide your eyes."

"Shit, you're right." He ran his fingers through his hair and down to the back of his neck.

"I'll get dressed and walk through the house to the garage. Why don't you walk around the house to the garage and I'll meet you at your car."

"Good plan," he said and walked out of the bedroom.

I got dressed in the bathroom, grabbed my phone and headed downstairs. The only person I encountered was Emmett on my path to the garage.

"Hey, Bella. Those are different clothes. Are you doing the walk of shame right now?"

"No," I snapped back and kept walking with him a few steps behind me.

"I bet Rosalie and I cock blocked you guys by coming home early, didn't we?"

I spun around to face Emmett, hoping to stop his pursuit. "It was actually my dad since someone else has gone missing. I have to get home now."

The mischievous smile faded from his face. "That's not good. I'll tell everyone else."

"Thanks. Edward is taking me home now.

"Good night. It was a pleasure to wait on you." He pulled my hand to his lips and froze. "You smell like fresh blood. Leave before Jasper shows up," he said with a hint of concern and warning in his voice.

The panic attack started to come on quickly. "I've got to get out of here." I wrenched my hand from his and ran into the waiting arms of Edward.

We sped off towards my home in silence. The awkwardness of my father's intrusion and the crushing helplessness of what could have been kept words away from our lips. Our main focus right now was to get to my house safely so my father wouldn't worry about me. Only then could he completely focus on finding Lauren.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: The usual thanks to my lovely prereaders/betas Erikasbuddy and OnePushyFox. I don't own any of these characters like Stephenie Meyer does. And I certainly can't rock the red lipstick like she can. I just look like I have jaundice with my skin tone.**

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**Chapter 7 **

**BPOV**

We sped through town, our destination coming into focus much too quickly for my liking. I was snuggled into Edward's shoulder, his strong arm wrapped possessively around my body and holding me as closely as possible while he effortlessly navigated the nearly empty streets. Thinking ahead, he slowed the Volvo before Charlie spotted us so we could avoid the reckless driving speech.

I pulled myself upright when we approached the driveway, untangling myself from the icy comfort that Edward provided. My father stood with his hands on his hips as he leaned on the hood of his squad car, a stern look upon his face while his right hand neared his service revolver. I didn't think he would look so smug if he knew just how useless that was against my boyfriend. Dating the police chief's daughter was extremely daunting to a regular human, but I still got the feeling that Charlie's stance made Edward a little nervous.

"I better get inside," I said quickly, gripping the door handle.

Edward opened his door at the same time I did, our eyes meeting over the roof of his car as we both stood up. "Your eyes are red," I whispered knowing only he could hear me.

He frowned slightly and closed his eyes momentarily. I approached my father with Edward a few steps behind me, careful to stay in the shadows away from the squad car's headlights.

"Thanks for coming home, Bells." Charlie nodded towards Edward before returning his suspicious gaze to me. "Why is your hair wet? And those aren't the same clothes you were wearing when you left." Sometime it sucked having a cop for a father. He never missed anything.

I shifted uncomfortably as I mentally replayed the scenes with Edward in his bathroom. Feeling the blush start to creep across my cheeks, I told half of the truth. "I fell in mud outside of their house and Alice let me use her shower."

"Hmm. Mud." Charlie looked back and forth between Edward and me while he decided if that explanation was believable.

"For goodness sakes, Dad. His hair isn't even wet!" I threw my hands in the air in frustration and turned to Edward. "I'll call you later."

"You should go straight home. There have been a lot of strange things happening around here. Don't want you to go missing too." My father's tone didn't sound like he would care if Edward disappeared.

"I'll be careful, sir." He grabbed my hand and quickly stroked it lightly. "I'll see you _later_."

Charlie and I watched Edward leave. After staring at each other awkwardly for a few seconds, I turned to go into the house.

"Hold on a second." I spun on my heels to face him. "Don't get mad, but I asked Billy and Jacob to stay with you tonight while I'm at work."

I sighed loudly. "I'm a big girl and I'm perfectly capable of staying home by myself."

"I know you can take care of yourself. Your classmate was abducted from her house yesterday. Until I catch the sick bastard that's taking people, I don't want you anywhere alone."

"Then Edward can stay with me," I added flatly.

Charlie rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Like that's going to happen. I'd definitely win father of the year if I allowed that."

His flat, sarcastic tone made me laugh like it always did. "I could get you one of those mugs with _'#1 Dad'_ painted on it. Would that make you feel better?"

After he snickered, he shut my idea down again. "Nice try, Bells. You still aren't staying in the house alone with Edward all night."

"Darn," I pouted. If only he knew that Edward could protect me so much better than anyone else could. Both Charlie and I leaned against the car and waited in silence for the Blacks to arrive.

We didn't have to wait long since they pulled into our driveway about a minute later. Billy was much the same as always, long black hair, beat up jeans, denim jacket, and dark cowboy boots. But Jake was an entirely different story. It had only been a week since he had scared Mike Newton away from my porch, but he had grown several inches and packed on just as much muscle. His dark black hair, which he had previously worn down his back, was shorn into a nearly military cut.

Charlie greeted them while I just gawked at his metamorphosis. "Wow, Jake," my dad said. "What's in the water over at the reservation?"

Jacob smiled and shook his head. "Some pharmaceutical company must be dumping their waste water into the system."

I feigned a smile and light laugh, but I couldn't stop staring at the gargantuan boy in front of me. When he shifted his gaze to me, his smile lit up a thousand times brighter than a lighthouse, even in the darkness. "What? No hug for me?" He lumbered over and pulled me into a twirling hug. It was a bit uncomfortable since he was just wearing some cut off jean shorts and no shirt.

"Jake," I squealed. "Put me down."

He stopped spinning long enough to gently place my feet on the ground. Something changed in his expression quickly, it went from his happy go lucky smile to fierce animal within seconds. Jake inhaled deeply through his nose and peered all around us in the darkness. He reached out and grabbed a lock of my hair, pulling it to his face as if he was tracking whatever he smelled to me.

It must have been me that contained the scent he was searching for. All of a sudden, he jerked back away from me and his entire body started to tremble violently. "Are you okay?" I asked as I looked to my dad for guidance.

Billy yelled at Charlie and me to get into the house, but we didn't have time to react. About ten feet in front of us, Jake disappeared and a giant russet colored wolf appeared in his place.

Like father, like daughter, we had the exact same reaction. "Holy shit," we said in unison.

"Damn it, Jake," Billy said sternly. "Just go run it off in the woods. We'll meet you inside."

Still frozen in place with our mouths agape, Charlie and I didn't tear our eyes away from the wolf as he turned and darted into the woods behind our house.

Charlie broke his trance first as I was reaching for his arm. "I guess we should go inside," he said as he guided me towards the house with a warm arm around my shoulders. Billy wheeled up to the stairs and my dad helped him inside.

"I'm going to make some coffee." I needed to have a few minutes to myself to digest this new information. My childhood friend was some kind of magician or werewolf or something. And why did my scent seems to set off the change from man to beast?

**EPOV**

I reluctantly left Bella with her father, even though I knew he had called his best friend and his son to watch over her while Charlie hunted for the missing girl. Sneaking into Bella's bedroom to spend the night just got exponentially more difficult. If Jacob's genetics had finally kicked in like Alice suspected, he could smell me coming a mile away.

I drove home, breaking all of the speed limits. I was alone and didn't need to be so careful. When I pulled into the driveway, I abandoned my car and ran deep into the woods to take care of my red eye problem. I needed to find another way around this nasty side effect. Adding animal blood on top of Bella's muted the amazing effects of her blood. Sure, I still felt stronger than I normally did. But I was so much powerful and faster with only Bella running through my veins that I didn't want to push her out. I imagined it was like following a meal of filet mignon up with a McDonald's cheeseburger chaser. One that had been thrown in the dirty gutter. And this was a very nice way of keeping her with me when we couldn't physically be together.

Having no choice since I definitely couldn't show up at home with eyes like this, I hunted and fed until I could stand no more. I just hoped it was enough to make my appearance go back to normal. While I slowly walked back towards my home, I replayed every second of our intimate encounter. I didn't expect to see so much of her perfect creamy skin when I returned with towels. And I certainly couldn't help myself once I saw her injury. It was minor, even by Bella standards, but I was drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

I latched on without asking, but I paused to give Bella a chance to refuse me. The moment her blood hit my throat, the raging inferno inside of me eased with every pull of her sweet liquid. When I expected a frenzied need for more to explode, a veil of calm settled over me. It was through this tranquility that I found myself developing a different demand for her. I didn't just want her blood, but I needed her body even more desperately in that moment. It was when she started to react to my intimate caresses that my control started slipping. Thankfully her father called summoning her home. Who knows how far it would have gone without the interruption? Even I didn't know and I was unnervingly okay with that.

The first family member I encountered at the house was Alice. "Edward," she greeted me with a smile. "I need to talk to you about something." _Damn Alice and her gift, I bet she saw all of it. And some things are meant to be kept private._

"Can't it wait?" I wanted to call Bella from the sanctuary of my bedroom. I had to tell her I wouldn't be back tonight. Maybe Alice could give me a good excuse since I couldn't tell her the truth. She knew nothing of the existence of werewolves and their long history with vampires.

'No, it's really important." _I've had a vision of Charlie and Bella that went black. And I can't see either of them anymore. _She added mentally.

Great, just what I needed. It was bad enough that I couldn't be there with her right now, but Alice had to make it worse with her vision impotence. "Bella and Charlie are fine. He asked some family friends to watch over Bella tonight while he's working."

"But Edward," she said as she grabbed my arm to keep me from walking past her. "We have to figure out what's wrong with my head."

Sensing her desperation, I gave in. "Follow me. We'll try to figure this out."

Before we made it half way up the stairs, my phone rang. "See Alice, this is Bella right now. I'm sure everything is fine."

I answered informally and got a panicked Bella on the other end of the line. _"Oh my god, Edward. Did you know that werewolves are real?"_

How did she know about werewolves? "Bella, calm down. What's happened?"

"_Jake was here, then he hugged me and sniffed me, then he was this gigantic wolf. What the hell is going on?"_

My first instinct was anger that he would endanger my girlfriend by shifting in front of her. My second instinct was more jealousy since he would dare hug her. She was mine to touch, not his. "I'm coming over right now. Sit tight and don't go anywhere near him, it's too dangerous and unpredictable. Did Charlie see what happened to Jacob?"

"_He was right next to me and saw the whole thing."_

"I'll be there soon."

"_Please hurry. Jake ran out into the woods, so if you see a wolf around here make sure you don't run it over."_ My Bella, as concerned for everyone else as she always was. I'm sure she didn't even realize how much danger she had been in moments before.

Alice had overheard the entire conversation and offered to go with me to their house. "We have to do damage control. I'll let Carlisle know and meet you at your car."

**BPOV**

I pocketed my cell phone and carried the tray of coffee into the living room. Charlie and Billy were in the middle of a heated discussion when I interrupted with the mugs of steaming brown liquid.

"But don't you think I have a right to know about this? I'm the damned police chief!" Charlie's initial shock had worn off and now he was simply mad that he didn't have a clue about the existence of werewolves. If he only knew that my boyfriend and his family were all vampires. I had a feeling I was going to be in deep trouble depending on how this conversation played out.

Billy shook his head back and forth, agreeing with my father. "Would you have believed me?

"No. But wait a minute, those deaths earlier in the year looked like animal attacks. Were they responsible for those deaths?"

"Of course not, why would we hurt anybody? You wouldn't even have known if Jacob wasn't so new to this. I shouldn't have brought him with me tonight, but he is imperative to keeping your daughter safe. I can't protect her by myself since I'm in this damned wheel chair."

"Protect me from what?" I asked. Seriously, what did I need protection from? I had Edward and his entire family to help me in that department. And they had proven that they would give their lives to protect me over and over again. Prime example was the James situation.

Billy turned to me and sneered. "You know exactly who I'm talking about."

"No, I don't know what you're referring to."

"I guess I'm the clueless one here." Charlie threw his hands in the air in frustration. "What does my daughter need safeguarding from, Billy?"

"The Quileute tribe has old enemies, Charlie. And they aren't humans. A special gene is activated in those of us who have the right lineage, but only when our enemies are near."

"So all Quileutes can't turn into giant wolves?" I asked.

Billy nodded his head. "Only a handful of us can change and protect our people and land."

"Okay," my dad said and took a drink of his coffee. "Why did Jacob, um..go wolf outside of my house? Are your enemies nearby right now?"

"Not right now. But I suspect Jacob was set off by the scent of our them." The last part was directed at me.

I found myself smelling the same lock of my hair that Jacob had pressed to his nose before his change. The scent of expensive shampoo was all my human nose could detect. Then the realization hit me like a ton of bricks. What would change the way I normally smell besides different toiletries on my freshly washed body? I had been pressed into Edward's side in the car and he'd been all over me earlier. I must smell like vampire.

"Dad, Could you get me some water?" I asked, hoping to get Billy alone so I could confirm my fears.

When Charlie left the room, I just blurted out the first question I had. "It was the smell of my boyfriend that made Jacob change, wasn't it?"

Billy met my eyes with a long cold stare before responding. "I believe so."

"Then that means the Cullens are your enemies?"

He gave short nod before he responded. "The seven of them, along with any other of their kind that cross our territory."

"What are you going to tell Charlie?" I wondered aloud. Billy opened his mouth to speak, but Charlie rounded the corner with my requested glass of water.

"Are you okay, Bells?" he asked while handing the glass to me. "You look a little sick."

I took a slow drink of the cool liquid. "I'm okay, just a little shaken up."

"So, where were we?" Charlie asked.

A loud knock came from the back door before it was opened a few inches. "Could someone get the extra clothes for me out of the truck? I'm sure you can explain a wolf to the neighbors, but not a naked guy on your front lawn."

I started to stand up but Billy interrupted me. "That's probably not a good idea, Bella. Charlie?" he said as he tossed the keys to my father.

My father looked at me with a puzzled expression, but stood up and walked out the front door.

Charlie and a newly dressed Jake returned from the backyard. While my dad sat down next to me on the couch, my childhood friend lingered in the doorway. I think he was afraid to be near me after what happened outside earlier.

"Are you okay, Jake?" I asked.

"Just embarrassed, that's all." He flashed a sheepish grin before a grave look from Billy quickly wiped the smile off of Jacob's face.

Billy turned to Charlie and ignored the rest of us in the room. "You wanted to know who is a threat to our tribe. Your daughter's boyfriend and family are the singular immediate threat."

My jaw dropped open and I searched for words I couldn't form. Looking back and forth between the three men in my house, I felt the urge to explain myself and defend Edward and his family.

Charlie snorted and laughed. "Edward? He's pretty smug, but your enemy? Come on."

The deadly expression on Billy's face didn't waver. "I'm serious, Charlie."

All I could do was sit quietly and try to push down the panic that was welling up inside of me. I gripped the arm of the couch, holding on for dear life while the room started to spin.

"So you guys are werewolves. What is Eddie boy then, a mummy? A leprechaun? No wait, too tall for that," Charlie scoffed.

Billy was not amused by Charlie's guesses. "None of those. They're blood suckers and I'd bet anything that they are behind the disappearances around here lately."

"Just spit it out. Stop being so cryptic."

Billy was definitely fed up with my father's flippant attitude about this entire situation. "They are vampires."

He stared at Billy for a few seconds, a look of disbelief on his face. "Is this true, Bells? Have I been placing my little girl's life in the hands of vampires?"

"Um," was all I could make my mouth form at the moment while I looked away from him, trying not to hyperventilate.

My reluctance to answer his question told him everything he needed to know. "You're grounded. No leaving the house ever."

"But, Dad," I pleaded. "They don't hurt people, I'm fine and I've been around them a ton. They only hunt animals. And they don't even do that around me."

"Then they can be blamed for the awful hunting around here." Was Charlie serious? I think he was starting to crack up. "I'm going to get back in my squad car, drive back to the station, and wake up from this terrible dream. I've clearly been working way too hard," he said while he rubbed his temples. "Or I need a beer."

The three of us looked at Charlie in silence, not surprised that he thought he was dreaming. Seriously, vampires and werewolves? This was the stuff of nightmares, not reality. The fact that they existed didn't bother me at all. Why it didn't trouble me wasn't something that I was going to try to figure out tonight.

Jacob snapped his head towards the front door and took a defensive stance, a low growl escaping his lips.

After a short rapping sound echoed off of the door, a loud sing song voice spoke through our front door. "Bella," Alice said. "Edward and I are here, but I can't see if we should come inside while your visitors are still here."

I turned to Jake, who was frozen in place across the room. "Will you be able to handle them being in here?" I asked.

He nodded a half-hearted affirmation and I turned my attention to Billy. He looked disgusted, but didn't protest the idea of them entering my home. Charlie was staring blankly at Jacob, so obviously he had no vote either way.

"The door is unlocked, please come in," I called.

Edward entered the house first, his amber eyes franticly searching the small room for me. He calmed when he saw that I was safe and stepped aside to let Alice enter.

"Good evening, gentlemen," she said as she scanned the room, her eyes growing wide when they settled on the hulking boy across the room. "Wow, Jacob. You've grown since I saw you last."

Billy's head jerked towards Jacob. "You know _her_?" he spat.

"I ran into her with Bella when Charlie had us follow them in Port Angeles."

Charlie finally came out of his stupor. "Bella knew you were following her? That's great."

"She doesn't need extra protection when she's with us." Edward approached the couch, closing the gap between Jacob and me with his body.

Jacob's eyes grew wide as his hands started to shake again. "I've got to get some air," he said quickly as he ran towards the back door.

Charlie stood up and started to pace around the living room. "I don't know what the hell is going on in my own damn house, let alone in the town that I'm supposed to protect." He continued to mumble to himself as he walked back and forth.

"Dad," I said as I got up to make eye contact with him. I wasn't sure how focused Charlie was at the moment and I had to make him see that everything was okay. "Everything is fine. There are just a few more things that we know about our world now, but it hasn't been turned upside down by revealing these things."

"I have to think about all of this before I can come to a decision. Right now, I have a teenage girl to find. And hopefully she just ran off with a boyfriend or something and wasn't kidnapped."

He turned to Billy. "Will Jacob come back or do I need to find him?"

"He can get home safe by himself, but I'll need a ride home."

The back door flew open and all of our attentions turned to see a breathless Jacob in the kitchen. With his chest still heaving, he managed to speak. "Hey Charlie, did you know that there's a dead body in the woods behind here?"

"Son of a…what are you talking about?" He grabbed the flashlight from his belt and pointed it at the back door. "Show me, right now." Jacob and Charlie hurried out the back door without another word, leaving Edward, Alice, and Billy alone with me. _This ought to be an interesting conversation._

"I need to remind you about the treaty you agreed to. You cannot bite, kill, or turn any human while in Forks and the surrounding areas. If you break any of those terms or trespass on Quileute lands, the truce is off."

If Edward's face could turn red with anger, it would be blazing right now. "But it's okay for one of you to change into a wolf dangerously close to Bella and Charlie?

Alice added her two cents in. "Not to mention the fact that another human knows about the existence of all of us."

"If Bella didn't reek of vampire, Jacob would not have been pushed to change. It isn't right for you to interact with humans the way you do."

"I don't have a say in this?" I asked both of them. "I know about both of you and I'm not changing a thing. You've been friends with my father forever," I said while pointing at Billy. "And these two are my boyfriend and my best friend. Learn to get along or at the very least stay away from each other."

Jacob appeared in the room out of thin air. "Charlie said I should take you home. He's calling in some of his officers to help secure the body so he'll be out there for a while. He said the vamps can stay with Bella."

"It's against my better judgment, but if that's what Charlie wants." He wheeled himself to the front door in silence.

"See you later, Bella." Jacob waved before he and his father disappeared out the door. I watched them from a window until they had driven down the street and out of my sight.

A cool pair of arms encircled my waist from behind me, pulling me into an embrace. "It's late. You should get some sleep."

I spun in his arms, resting my head under his chin. "What is going on around here?" I whispered.

"We'll explain everything in the morning," he said into my hair. "Let's go to bed."

Alice made herself comfortable on the couch, the remote control for our flat screen already pointed at the cable box. "I have to stay here or Charlie is going to _freak out_ when he comes home and finds you two in bed together."

"Goodnight, Alice." I called while Edward led me upstairs, gently maintaining contact the entire way.

I changed into my pajamas in front of Edward, but he started to turn away at the sight of my undressing. "I think after what happened at your house, you don't have to be so respectful. It's okay to look."

Edward welcomed me with open arms on my bed and I snuggled in without hesitation. "What a Friday night. I don't think I can take much more excitement."

"I know exactly how you feel," he said softly into my hair. "Sweet dreams, my love."

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**Anyone up for a Charlie POV from a crime scene? Check out the next chapter for a rare peak into his mind.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Warning. This chapter contains a murder investigation and dead body. There is also some strong language used in this chapter. Don't say I didn't warn you before you read it. And Stephenie Meyer would probably blush if she knew how my Mike thought. And she owns all these character names as usual, but the messed up situations to come in the future are all mine.**

**Thanks as always to my betas Erikasbuddy, who has the quickest turnaround and the funniest comments I've ever seen, and OnePushyFox who beta'd this chapter by making me read it out loud to her during a 3 hour road trip to another state. You girls are the best! **

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**Chapter 8 **

**Charlie POV**

She was sprawled unnaturally on the hard ground as if someone had just dropped her there, dirt and dead leaves forming a makeshift bed. Her pale green shirt was torn up the side, but the rest of her clothing was intact and clean. A gaping wound on her neck was clearly visible and looked as if an animal had ripped her throat open with its teeth. Strands of her blond hair were glued to the wound with dried blood. From the size of the gash I expected to see a lot of blood, but there really wasn't any to be found aside from her neck and fingertips.

Since Jacob had found the body, I questioned him while we hiked up to this desolate spot in the dense forest. I've known the boy his entire life and I was satisfied that he had nothing to do with this. He was clearly pretty upset about stumbling upon this unnatural scene, so I sent him back to my house to collect his father and return home. He reassured me that nothing could get past Bella's boyfriend and her best friend. She would be safe with them for a few hours. But I couldn't worry about that right now, I had to do my job. All of the strange revelations that had appeared in the last few hours would have to be shelved until later.

My body was on high alert while I waited for the coroner and one of my Forks deputies to arrive at the scene. All I could do was listen to the sounds of the forest, half expecting another giant wolf to jump out and carry the body away like a pet does to a chew toy. But the victim's gash wasn't as wide as Jacob's mouth had been when he was in wolf form. A giant wolf to be exact, much larger than any bear I've ever seen in these woods. I expected one of them to do much more damage to a body than what the victim displayed before me. The manner of death was for the coroner to decide anyway, it was just my place to catch who or what had perpetrated this brutal crime.

A flashlight, gun, and radio were all that I had on me. They certainly didn't take the place of the proper equipment I sorely needed to begin my investigation. I've never contaminated a scene and I wasn't about to blemish my record just because I was bored and alone in the forest. I owed this girl more than a botched investigation that could jeopardize potential evidence that would lead to her killer.

The brutal scene before me was a reminder that I had minimal control over the citizens of this town and even less over anyone who merely passed through. The most I've had to deal with over the years was drunk driving, domestic disputes, petty theft, and vandalism. It would figure that my plate just became that much fuller by discovering that boys can turn into giant wolves at the drop of a hat and my daughter's dating a supposed vampire. What the hell was wrong with this world? Maybe her wound was more consistent with a human sized mouth? All of the Cullens looked like regular humans, albeit a little too beautiful and perfect. If they really were vampires, would the damage they inflicted look like this?

At least a werewolf was useful for something since Jacob discovered this mutilated corpse about fifteen minutes into the woods directly behind my property. I asked him how he knew it was out here while we walked side by side. According to him, the smell of decomposition was so strong from the back porch that he went to investigate while he waited to calm down after Bella's friends had entered the house. He had to get out explaining something about the smell inside being too overwhelming. I couldn't smell a damn thing out of the ordinary in the house or until we got within ten feet of the body. This stench was incredible and it was something that you'd never forget. You'd instantly recognize it if you encountered it again.

A twig snapped loudly about thirty feet behind me and I whirled around, my flashlight and gun drawn to discover a deer staring blankly at me. Sick bastards sometimes liked to revisit the scene of the crime and I was on edge waiting for precisely that to happen.

"You're lucky I'm more of a fisherman than a hunter, Bambi," I said quietly to the deer. I holstered my gun and resumed my wait. "And I have a job to do."

A few minutes later my backup arrived. They found me easily using the GPS that was built into our radios. This was definitely one of the few instances where technology had made my job easier. Most of the time it just complicated things. There was something to be said for old fashioned police work.

The county coroner and his assistant carried a collapsible gurney; a large black body bag blanketed the top. My most seasoned officer carried a large black case full of crime scene examination supplies and a few battery operated flood lights that were sheathed in a similar black case.

We were such a small police department, but even with our budget restrictions I'd still been able to get my entire force crime scene processing training. We were fully equipped to photograph everything and collect the proper evidence as needed. We just hadn't much opportunity to use those skills until now.

I shielded my eyes as the lights were setup and turned on, the dark night giving way to daylight-like brightness over the area. Officer Baxter photographed the scene, working his way in towards the victim from the perimeter I had set up while I was here alone. The last pictures he took were close ups of the body. After the scene was documented, the coroner donned blue nitrile gloves and crouched down next to the girl.

"Perry, bring me the paper bags so we can isolate her hands. Maybe we can get some DNA from under her fingernails," the coroner said to his assistant. He gently lifted each of her hands, scrutinizing the tips of each finger. "Fingers look good. We should be able to get some fingerprints to help identify her with."

"Did you see this, Chief?" George waved me over and I bent down next to him. He was at least ten years older than me and I didn't see how he could stay squatted down for so long like this without falling over.

"Each one of her fingernails is broken and peeled back a little. I've never seen this kind of damage on someone who fought back before. This would have hurt like a son of a bitch." George stood up and stretched his back.

"With that degree of damage, I hope she got some of her attacker to stick in there. A DNA match is our best bet in this case." This really was our best lead right now, especially if this turned out to be Lauren Mallory. No one had seen her leave her house two days ago, leaving behind her cell phone and purse. My stomach clenched at the thought of her parents having to identify the body. She was in the same class as Bella in school. And the victim dead before us matched Lauren's description.

I was ripped from my thoughts back to the job at hand when the coroner's assistant brushed past me with the brown paper bags and rubber bands to enclose her hands. This helped keep whatever evidence that was sticking around easier for the lab to analyze and keep contamination to a minimum. It was pretty amazing that something as simple as paper bags meant to house lunches and rubber bands could be used to secure evidence.

I swatted at the insects that had started to swarm me while I was knelt down, even though I had stood up a short time ago. "What about her neck wound?" I asked the coroner.

"Won't know anything for sure until I get her on the table, but it looks like some kind of animal. Strange how there isn't much blood here." George had been the coroner for fifteen years and a physician in town for twenty, so he had plenty of experience recognizing animal and human inflicted wounds on both living and dead people. Bella had even seen him a few times over the years while she had stayed here with me. "Must have bled out somewhere else."

'I don't think she was killed here. There's no evidence of an altercation, animal tracks, or blood." I surveyed the ground before me again and the forest floor was still undisturbed.

"We're ready to bag her, Chief," Perry said as he snapped on a new pair of gloves. He was an average sized guy in his mid-twenties, his hair worn a little longer as was the fashion these days. He had made a good career choice since he didn't seem to be bothered by death in the least.

While Baxter packed up the camera and other equipment, I watched George and Perry load the victim into the body bag. As they zipped it closed, I fleetingly thought that it could be Bella in there. I realized that I would do anything to keep her safe. I probably should get home as quickly as possible to sort all of this new business out.

**EPOV**

In a small clearing in the middle of a dense patch of trees, a lone man wearing the dark black uniform of a police officer stood as still as a statue with his flashlight aimed on the body of a woman lying on the ground. The shallow rise and fall of Charlie's chest was the only movement that indicated he was human. A tall blond male clad in dark shoes, jeans and a black t-shirt watched him from a treetop about 500 yards deeper into the forest. Three men arrived bearing a gurney and black cases, speaking to Bella's father as they started to unpack their gear. The mysterious blond man climbed halfway down the tree before free falling the final twenty feet to the ground. Upon silently landing on the hard earth as if he had jumped from a tree stump instead of the higher branches of a tree, he turned and leisurely walked further into the forest.

I pulled myself out of Alice's mind and lightly caressed Bella's face. She had been sleeping peacefully for over an hour, her breathing was easy and slow. I placed a soft kiss on her forehead after I untangled myself from her embrace and left her bedroom door ajar as I slipped out. She was safe as long as Alice and I were in the house. Nothing would happen to my girl on our watch.

I descended the stairs noiselessly and sat on the couch next to Alice. "Did you recognize the blond watching Charlie from the tree?"

She wrinkled her brow as she tried to remember where she had seen him before. "He looks vaguely familiar, but I can't really tell since we only saw him from the back."

"I'm sure I've seen him before too." That was the disadvantage of being around for over one hundred years. All of the humans started to blur together after a few decades. Someone had to be really strange or extraordinary for us to remember them clearly.

"I didn't think Charlie was in any danger or I would have tried to help. But we can't be sure. Maybe the stranger didn't do anything since those other people showed up?"

The most startling fact from her vision was that there was a new vampire roaming the area. Nothing else could have jumped from that height and simply strolled away. "The man had no weapons that I could see. Then again, he wouldn't need them because that guy was definitely not human."

"That's what I thought too. A human couldn't jump out of that tree as easy as stepping off of a curb onto the street."

"Do you think this vampire killed that girl?"

I listened to the sound of Bella's even breathing, checking that she was still sleeping peacefully. "I don't know why else he would watch over the body or Charlie like that."

"While I was channel surfing through their crappy cable channels, I had an idea of why my visions have been going black," Alice said, turning off the television and placing the remote control gently on the coffee table.

"I was thinking about that too while I was upstairs."

"What's the common denominator for each vision that I had before it went black? And why couldn't I see Charlie or Bella earlier tonight, but I can see both of them clearly right now?"

I searched my memory, trying to find a common thread amongst her visions and the events of tonight. Before I could answer her, Alice responded with her theory.

"It's the wolves, Edward," she said excitedly. "When Charlie and Bella disappeared earlier, it was when the wolf and his dad showed up here."

"That makes sense. And that would explain why you can see Bella and Charlie now. They aren't around Jacob or Billy at the moment."

Alice bounced lightly on the couch. "I'm not broken! I've got to call Jasper and tell him all about this."

"You might as well give Carlisle an update too. He'll want to know about the wolves and the new vampire out there." I stood up. "How long until Charlie gets home?"

She stared at the wall for a few seconds, her eyes unfocused. "We have about an hour. He's finishing up some paperwork in his office right now, but he's really tired and anxious to get home. You can go back upstairs and have some alone time with Bella. I'm going to make my phone call from the backyard." _And hopefully see something more useful to us at this moment,_ she added mentally.

Bella stirred when I climbed in bed with her, reaching for me in the darkness. "Is my dad home yet?"

I maneuvered her so she was snuggled close under my arm, her body resting along my right side. If it wasn't for the temperature difference, it would have been hard to discern where her body ended and mine began. "Alice says we have another hour before he gets back."

She reached up and caressed my cheek. "And where's Alice? I heard the back door open."

Bella was much more observant than I gave her credit for. "She has to make a few phone calls to update everyone."

"So we're along right now?" she asked as she rubbed slow circles on my stomach.

"Alice is just outside in the backyard." I said. Bella wrapped her tiny hand around the back of my neck and pulled me down to her lips, cutting off anything else I wanted to say with an aggressive kiss. When she released me to breathe, our eyes met. The chocolate eyes returning my gaze were filled with hunger and longing. I'm sure they mirrored the same emotions in my eyes.

Bella's tongue darted out to wet her lips, an action that lit an intense burning within me that wasn't spawned by my thirst for her blood.

"Don't you want to finish what we started last night?" she purred as her hand slowly traveled lower down my torso. The raw sexuality in her voice produced a heavy throbbing down below. I could smell her arousal and it was making me want to ravish her with reckless abandon. And that was something I couldn't really afford to do right now.

"I would love to," I said as I grabbed her hand, applying gentle force to keep it from going any lower. "But you know we're not really alone right now."

Bella blew out a deep breath before pulling her hand away. "Right," she said, not masking the disappointment in her voice. "Vampire hearing is _not_ such a great thing sometimes."

"Tell me about it. And neither is being able to hear everyone's thoughts," I answered with a kiss to her hand. "You need to at least pretend to be asleep in about five minutes. Charlie's coming home early."

"I guess that means you have to go downstairs."

"I have to, unless you want him to break out the shotgun?" I got up and pulled the comforter over her.

"I really don't want Charlie to make such a rash decision, like all of you staying away from me."

"Don't worry, love. Alice and I can help him see that we're harmless." I leaned down and kissed her lightly as she settled against her pillow.

I hurried downstairs before Charlie walked into the house, which posed no problem. Alice was right behind me and it appeared that we had been on the couch all night. _He has convinced himself that he hallucinated everything that happened earlier, but he will react well when he sees that we are still here with Bella and she's fine._

"I know, Alice," I whispered. "I can hear him, remember?"

The metallic scraping of a key in a deadbolt signaled Charlie was home. The now unlocked door opened slowly and a clearly very exhausted Charlie entered his house. "Oh yeah, you two are still here."

"Yes, sir," I replied. "Jacob said that you wanted us to stay with Bella. She's upstairs sleeping."

"Right." He climbed the stairs two at a time, not concealing the need to see that his daughter was safe.

When he returned, he sank into his plush recliner before speaking. "She's safe," he said more to himself than us. "Now, I've had a very unsettling night and I would like to sleep a few hours before I go back to work."

Alice and I sat in silence and waited for Charlie to take the discussion further. His thoughts were all over the place, mainly due to fatigue and information overload.

"So, vampires, huh," he said in classic Charlie fashion. I could see how he was effective at questioning people with this methodology. You scrambled to figure out what he was really asking and wound up saying way too much. Luckily Alice and I had abilities that allowed us to side step everything he tried.

Alice chimed in first. "Yes, Charlie."

"Your whole family?"

"Yes, sir," I answered and listened to where his line of questioning was going inside his head.

"So am I supposed to embarrass myself with the movie and book superstitions or do you want to cut through the crap and just tell me the truth?" He looked back and forth between us, intentionally making eye contact while he waited for our answer.

"The cliff notes version?" Alice asked. Charlie nodded and she continued. "We are immortal and we need blood to live."

"But our family doesn't use humans. We live quite nicely off animals." I added.

Charlie sat with his hands folded in his lap as he let everything sink in. "Do all vampires stick to your diet or should I be worrying here?"

Alice wrinkled her brow as she figured out how to answer that question. "We are in the minority."

"So the other ones? They need people. Is the end result death for the person?"

I answered evenly. "Most of the time."

"How many of you are there?"

"Very few when you compare it to the population of humans on earth. The closest ones that we know of are in Alaska, but a few wander around. They've been known to pass through here every now and again." Charlie didn't seem comforted by my admission.

"But Bella's safe with you and your family?" he said to me.

"Definitely. We'll do anything to protect her."

"We love her, Charlie. She's like family to us," Alice revealed.

"I see," he said. "Why don't you two go home and get some sleep? It's been a long night."

Alice giggled lightly. "We're never tired and we don't sleep. You have a lot to learn, Charlie."

"Really? Not needing to sleep would be a great quality in a cop. They'd never complain about getting the night shift." Charlie smirked.

"We can stay here while you sleep if you're worried about Bella being unprotected," I offered.

He shook his head back and forth. "No, I've got it. Just go home."

_I told you he would take it well. _Alice chided from her mind.

We said our quick goodbyes and headed for home. Things with Charlie went much better than I expected. But I still got out of the car a mile away from their house and ran right back into Bella's waiting arms.

**Mike POV**

_Get back before dawn or else_. I was really sick of taking orders from some Milli Vanilli wannabe. He seriously needed to back off or I wasn't going to come back next time. Or I might just cut off those stupid dreads. And it would be easy since I was so much stronger and faster than that douchebag.

The chick, on the other hand, was smoking hot. She had an emo vibe going on since she was all mopey and depressed. But that didn't make her any less of a hot piece of ass. But even I could see how manipulative she was.

When captain dickhead decided to kill my ass while I was coming home from school, I thought I was a goner. The burning and pain felt like it would last forever, but it eventually receded. I woke up on a hard bed in a crude cabin deep in the mountains.

"_Just go out long enough to feed and return to us here before dawn,"_ he'd said to me when I walked out the door of the cabin. "_And don't let anyone see you,"_ he'd added like I was some five year old that didn't know better. I had news for him, I was doing whatever I damned well pleased.

So I walked for about fifty yards from the cabin before I sprinted my way into town. This super speed thing was one of the best things about what I had become. Never getting tired and never having to sleep were definitely bonuses too.

I didn't want my family to worry about me so I had been showing up at home and sneaking out of my bedroom window after watching a little television. My parents were so wrapped up with their own lives and the store that after I reappeared, they hadn't even noticed I was different now. The red eyes were a bitch, but some dark sunglasses took care of that little problem. This was a pretty sweet deal since I saw them about as much as I did before and I wasn't even questioned.

One thing I didn't miss? School. I haven't been back to that place since I disappeared. I made an attempt one day last week, but didn't make it past the parking lot. It was too hard to control myself around all of those healthy beating hearts and delicious blood filled bodies. As long as I kept myself full, I handled being around them for short intervals. It was getting better every day, so hopefully I would be able to blend in like I used to someday.

And that brought me to the issue of sunlight. Sparkling like a freaking disco ball as soon as my skin hit the sun was a novelty at first. Then it put a damper on where and when I could go anywhere. Good thing Forks was so rainy so I wasn't trapped inside that crap shack all day with the sadistic redhead.

I walked into the cabin and immediately heard a sharp voice pierce the silence. "Michael, did you bring me someone to eat?" she called from the bedroom.

Laurent had been bringing Victoria food because she refused to leave this cabin. "Sorry, baby. This one was such a bitch I couldn't wait to kill her. Maybe dread head will bring something back?"

Taking a deep unnecessary breath, I crossed the threshold into her bedroom. She was slumped on the bed in a grey silk robe, twirling her red hair around a fingertip. "Don't make me mad, Michael," she threatened. The expression on her face turned from stern to pouty. "You don't care about me."

I put on my game face and knelt before her to the side of the bed. "Of course I do, baby. You know I can't help myself."

I seriously questioned her mental state when she would send me to find someone for her. I was a brand new vampire and my blood lust was strong, but it was manageable. I pretended that it was much worse so I could stay away for longer intervals of time.

One of these days I was going to strike out on my own. Before I left, I needed to know as much as I could about being what I had become. Laurent and Victoria were the only vampires I knew. I was unfortunately tied to them until I was ready to leave.

She reached for my face and ran her fingers through my hair. It was such a caring gesture until she grabbed a handful of hair and tugged hard. If she ripped it out, I would have to glue it back on with venom later. When she wanted this, there was no stopping her. I let her flip me onto the bed and it groaned with the force of my landing. I said a silent prayer to the man upstairs for help in surviving Victoria's libido one more time. She liked to play rough and I liked having my limbs attached, so I let her have her way with me without a fight.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thanks to my betas OnePushyFox and Erikasbuddy. Stephenie Meyer is one lucky chick to own all of the characters from Twilight.**

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**Chapter 9**

**BPOV**

A light rapping sounded on my bedroom door, awakening me in an empty bed. Maybe I had imagined that Edward climbed back in here last night, spooning me and comforting me as I slept.

"Bells," Charlie said as he knocked a little louder this time.

I ran my hand along the sheets to my left side. They were cold to the touch and I smiled. "Yeah, dad," I answered in a voice rough from sleep.

Charlie strolled into my room and sat in the arm chair several feet from my bed. Last night's clothes were strewn across the cushion, including Edward's black button down shirt. He paid them no notice and sat down on them anyway. "I thought we could have a little chat before I went to work."

I propped myself up on my elbows before I decided to slide up the bed and rest my back against the headboard. "Sure."

He cleared his throat and ran his hand over his short hair. The ruffling didn't change his appearance in the least. "Things are very different after last night, aren't they?" he asked as he balanced his elbows on his knees, leaning towards the bed.

"I'm sure your world is very different this morning. Mine is only a slightly stranger today."

"How long have you known about Edward and his family?"

I met his eyes before answering his question. "I found out shortly after moving to Forks."

"Was this before or after you started dating Edward?"

I pulled the covers up over me, trying to comfort myself during this difficult conversation. "I knew what he was before we started to date exclusively."

"I'm just trying to understand the situation, Bella. I want to make sure you went into this relationship with your eyes wide open. And not under false pretenses."

I realized I had been biting my lower lip while listening to his explanation. I blew out the breath I had been holding and reassured him. "I knew exactly what I was getting into by involving myself with them."

"Good," he said as he sat back in the chair. "I just want to make sure that you're safe with them. No, uh, bodily fluid swapping yet?"

"Gross, dad! I'm just as safe with them as I would be with Jake and Billy." _Especially Jake now._ "I think I wouldn't have been around for long if I wasn't fine with them."

"You can't blame me for concerning myself with your safety. I'm going to worry no matter who you're with."

"I know, dad." I threw back the covers and got out of bed. "Anyway, you know I'm more of a danger to myself."

We laughed and Charlie stood up. "I better get to work. It's going to be another long day after that murder last night."

"Any word on who was back there?" I didn't particularly like Lauren, but I didn't want to see her harmed in any way.

"Nope. We're still waiting on the coroner. It is Saturday, after all. No one wants to work on the weekend if they can help it."

He leaned in and kissed my cheek. "Have Alice come and stay with you today. Or she can pick you up and take you over to their house. I don't like you being alone so much."

"Will do." I said as I waved him out of my room. "Love you," I called to him.

He stopped at the top of the stairs and smiled back at me. "Love you too, Bells."

The front door had barely slammed when Edward sped out of my closet and hugged me from behind as I walked across the room.

I yelped in surprise at his forwardness, but turned into his embrace as he planted kisses along my neck.

"I almost thought you hadn't come back last night."

He kissed his way up to my lips. "I'll never leave you alone if I can help it," he said softly as he ran his hands along my back.

"Now you can't help it." I slightly pushed him away. "I need to shower and brush my teeth."

"I'm not invited?" he sounded hurt. "You were so willing yesterday."

The blush that spread across my cheeks instantly warmed my face. "That was at your house, where there is a huge shower." I walked towards the door. "Not enough room for the both of us to be comfortable in this old house."

"Fine," he said as he kicked his running shoes off. "I'll just stay here until you're done." He flopped on the bed to continue his brooding, which just made him even more handsome.

I turned my back on him and walked out the door, grabbing some clean towels from the linen closet on my way to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth and disrobed quickly, not wanting to waste a second of the day we could be sharing with each other.

I saved shaving my legs for last since I needed to take my time or risk cutting my leg off. I made somewhat quick work of my right leg and finished most of my left. "Ouch," I said quietly as I nicked my inner thigh right above the knee and dropped the razor to the tub below.

Before I could place my fingers over the cut, Edward was at my side looking me over. He paid no attention to the fact that I was naked and soaking wet. He was just worried that I had hurt myself.

"You've cut your leg," he said after his gaze traveled up my body and lingered on my breasts.

I wrinkled my brow in annoyance. "No shit, Sherlock."

He snapped his eyes to mine and smiled. "I guess that was a pretty stupid thing to say."

I smiled back at him. "Or do you prefer Captain Obvious?"

By this time, a sluggish stream of blood was flowing down my legs and pooling under my feet. The thick red liquid mixed with the water, leaving a pink pool before it rushed to the drain.

"Maybe you could help me out here?" I asked.

He nodded and wrapped a fluffy green towel around me before he picked me up. A few seconds later I found myself on my bed, Edward crouched by me on the floor with his eyes shining black.

Knowing what he wanted, I licked my lips and slowly eased the towel up higher on my thigh. "Go ahead," I whispered.

As soon as the words escaped my mouth, his cold lips surrounded the bleeding. I gasped when he pulled in forcefully.

He opened his eyes and lifted them to mine, briefly breaking his seal on my skin. The warm liquid ran down my leg quickly. When I didn't protest, he wiped away the wet trail leading back to my self-inflicted wound with a long lap of his tongue. A low pitched moan rose from his throat as he applied an even suction to my thigh.

His mouth was so close to my intimate spot that I became hyperaware of my nudity under this flimsy rectangle of cotton. Searing heat pooled in my belly, spilling into other areas. I hoped that in giving Edward what he needed, he'd return the favor as well. My body ached for his touch.

His pulls became deeper. I ran my hand through his hair, grabbing a handful and hanging on tight. He drank hungrily from me and I was happy to give this to him. But after a while, I began to wonder how long he would imbibe.

When I shifted uncomfortably, a solid hand clamped down on my hip and another on my knee, holding me tightly in place. The thin towel that had been hiding my skin was cast aside, leaving me utterly exposed. I'd given so freely of myself and now I really was at his mercy. This made my stomach flutter forcefully and I could feel the panic creep in, but I didn't struggle. "Oh God, please," I whispered when I couldn't choke back the helplessness that had almost completely taken over me.

Edward jerked his mouth away from my leg, staring straight into my wild eyes. A thin line of blood trickled down his chin, but his iron grip hadn't released me yet. His face softened from the fierce predator he was at that moment to the angel I knew him to be. As I stared back at him, his charcoal colored eyes shifted to crimson within seconds.

"Wow," I gasped. Edward's crimson eyes drank in every part of my exposed flesh, leaving a trail of goose bumps wherever they traveled. When his gaze finally reached my exposed center, he realized he was still gripping my hip tightly.

He let go immediately and started to rub my skin lightly. "I'm so sorry, Bella," he said, his voice full of emotion. "I've hurt you."

"I'm okay." I snuck a glance at my leg, expecting to see blood flowing freely onto the bed. But the flow was slowing, my body already starting to coagulate.

"I'll be right back," he said and disappeared out the bedroom door. I heard him rifling through the cabinets in the bathroom while I covered myself again, fearing that this was the end of our encounter. He returned to my side bearing a bandage for my cut, which now was a deep red and larger than it had initially been from his suction.

He knelt before me again, cleaning the remainder of the blood with a slow flick of his tongue. We both groaned at the same time, but I blushed while he gave me a slow smile before applying the adhesive bandage.

He climbed my body and spread out next to me on the bed, burying his head in my hair and throwing his arm gently over me. "Mmm, now you smell like my Bella." _What did I smell like before?_ I wasn't about to ruin the moment by asking him.

His hand crept towards my breast, the pace much too leisurely for my taste. "What do you want to do now?" he asked tentatively in my ear.

"I think you can read my mind, if you try hard enough," I answered, running my hand along his chest. I pulled his head to mine, his lips crashing into mine with more force than I was used to. We kissed hungrily, his fingers kneading my newly exposed breast before finding my tight nipple. I moaned in approval against his lips, urging him on.

He circled my nipple slowly with his finger before pushing new boundaries and covering the taut peak with his ice cold mouth. He suckled gently, carefully avoiding any contact with his teeth.

_Finally, Edward. That's exactly what I wanted._ I wound my hand around his head, holding him in place.

But my strength was no match for Edward's and he snapped his head up, losing contact where I wanted him to stay much longer. "Did you say something?" His cool breath wafted over my breast as he panted, making me shiver.

I raised an eyebrow when I opened my eyes to meet his gaze. "Hmm?" was all I could articulate.

"Just now, did you say something out loud?"

"No." I hadn't said a coherent word in several minutes. What was with all of this talk? He was going to shut me down again if he kept speaking.

"I must be hearing things," he muttered and surrounded my nipple with those sweet lips once more.

I closed my eyes, reveling in the glorious feelings that such a simple act could spread through my entire body. I didn't think he would go further than that, but suddenly I felt a cool hand slide down my stomach and settle between my thighs.

_Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God._ I screamed inside my head. I couldn't believe he was going there. I never dreamed that he would actually touch me this way.

He abandoned my nipple and gave me that sexy crooked smile of his. I tried to hide the shocked expression on my face, but I didn't need to as he softly ran his knuckles up my front and my eyelids fluttered shut in ecstasy.

"I love you," I moaned as he finally found the spot with those magic hands. My breathing increased as he slowly circled that glorious bundle of nerve endings. I writhed in pleasure, an intense pool of heat burning through my core. Finally the tension could build up no more and it exploded, stars and fireworks blanketing my vision as my body pulsed with my first orgasm.

"And I love you, Bella," he said before he gently kissed my lips and smiled while he covered me with the towel once more.

My entire body tingled and my limbs felt like they were made of jelly. He rested his head in the crook of my neck, waiting for my breathing to return to normal.

"That was," I began. "I never thought," I tried again. He smiled at me lovingly and smoothed the hair away that was stuck to the sweat on my forehead. "Thank you."

"What do you say to that shower with me now?" he asked. "And then I'll have Alice sit with you while I take care of my eye color problem."

"Too bad you can't just wear contacts or something." I stood up and wrapped the towel tightly around me, offering him my hand to help him off of the bed.

When he stood up, he immediately pulled me into him and held me tight. "Tried that before after the whole James ordeal, remember? The venom eats through those tiny lenses within an hour."

"Right," I answered, mentally shaking the memory of James out of my head. "Lose your clothes, I'm sick of being the only naked one around here."

I watched him quickly undress and I ran for the bathroom before he was finally was nude. He literally streaked past me, beating me to the bathroom door.

"No fair," I said. "Using vampire speed is cheating."

I dropped my towel and drank in his impressive physique. I've never had this kind of an unhindered look at his body. He smiled shyly at me and I returned with one of my own. "Gorgeous."

"You're the gorgeous one here," he said as he pulled me into the bathroom.

Great things happened when we were finally alone together. For the first time, we were both satisfied with life at the same time.

**EPOV**

"You need to stay out of it, Alice," I scolded. The second I got back to Bella's after my hunt, she started in on me with her nagging concerns.

"You don't know what's going to happen if you keep this up," she answered, pointing her finger at my chest.

"All of that can change, so just drop it. We've got it handled."

Bella met us at my car, having just locked up the house. "I don't need to bring anything, do I?" she asked as she let Alice get in the backseat.

"We're only meeting with the rest of the family to discuss what has happened over the last couple of days. We'll be back in a few hours."

While I was gone, Alice stayed with Bella while she ate and got ready for the day. We had a lot to discuss after so much had happened, particularly in the last twenty four hours.

We gathered in the family room of our house, everyone appearing one by one from different areas of the house.

Emmett got up to offer Bella his seat on the couch as we moved towards him. He kept smiling at her while she made herself comfortable by my side.

"What, Emmett," she asked after noticing his large grin didn't fade.

"You're welcome."

"For what?" she said and nervously looked at me and Alice, who was cringing on the other side of me on the couch.

"For giving Edward some pointers, that's what," he said with genuine pride on his face. _You owe me one, bro._

Bella immediately flushed crimson and hid her face in her hands. I glared at him and silently promised to get him back later.

"Cut the crap, Emmett. Stop embarrassing her so we can get this show on the road," Rosalie scolded from her perch next to Jasper on the loveseat across the room.

Esme stood up and raised her voice. "All of you need to behave. We have serious business to discuss."

"Let's start with the wolves first." Carlisle paced around the room as he spoke. "Not only does Bella know about their existence, but Charlie as well."

"And a bigger problem is the fact that he did this on our territory." I added.

"I think Bella should have known about them way before one transformed in front of her," Alice said. All eyes flipped to her. "There was always the possibility of the Quileutes turning again. And she should have known what to look out for since her father is best friends with some of them."

"Wouldn't you have seen Jake changing in one of your visions? You could have warned me to get Charlie away before that happened." Bella looked to Alice with the utmost confidence in her eyes.

I held Bella's hand in mine and stroked her palm lightly with my thumb. "Alice's visions don't work if there's a wolf involved."

"That's right," she said, leaning around me to speak directly to Bella. For example, I saw you and Charlie leaning against his patrol car last night. As soon as the wolf showed up, the vision disappeared. All I saw was darkness."

"No wonder I had to call you and let you know what had happened," Bella said to me. "But Alice, you can see us if they're not around?"

"Yes," Alice answered. "It's like last night after you went to bed, I could see Charlie out in the woods by himself keeping watch over that unfortunate girl. Which leads us to the next problem. He wasn't waiting out there by himself, he had company. There was a strange vampire watching Charlie in the woods."

"What," Bella screeched.

"Did you recognize this vampire?" Carlisle asked.

Alice and I both shook our heads back and forth. "He looked familiar to us, but we never saw his face in Alice's vision."

Bella gripped my hand even tighter, her eyes pleading with mine. "We can't leave Charlie unprotected."

"Even though he knows about us now, he probably won't accept our help," Rosalie said plainly, sounding as bored as her mind broadcasted loudly to me that she was.

"He doesn't know that his guns can't hurt any of them," Bella said, her eyes filling with tears. "There's got to be a way that we can convince him to agree to use some help."

"One of us could follow him from a distance," Jasper suggested. When he spoke, Bella's heartbeat increased but her face remained impassive. I squeezed her hand in reassurance that I was here for her while she refused to let her nervousness show.

"Or better yet," Alice said brightly, raising her finger in the air. "Edward, remember when Charlie said that someone who doesn't sleep or get tired would be make the perfect cop?"

Bella's eyes brightened when Alice suggested that one of us could be a new recruit on Charlie's force.

"But can we get Charlie to agree to it?" I asked.

Alice checked out the ceiling for a few seconds. "We sure can, but it has to be Bella that talks him into it."

Bella eagerly shook her head up and down. "But who wants to go along with Charlie?"

Carlisle explored the possibilities. "Obviously Alice and Edward are out since they have to go to school with you."

Jasper raised his hand like he was waiting for permission to speak. "I could go. It would give me something to do while Alice is at school." Bella squeezed my hand so hard that I feared she was breaking her own bones.

"No," she said. "I want Emmett to go with Charlie." She looked up at her favorite brother of mine, giving her best sad puppy imitation. "Would you do it?"

"Gee, Bella. I don't know." Emmett said with a grave face.

"Please, for me?" she requested, her lower lip sticking out slightly. "Charlie needs someone who can be very intimidating to scare everyone away."

"He'll only be intimidating as long as he doesn't speak." Rosalie's thoughts clearly indicated that she didn't want to share her husband with anyone, especially Bella's father.

"I've always wanted to be a cop," he answered and rubbed his hands together with a sinister smile on his face. "This should be fun."

Carlisle took control of the meeting again. "Any suggestions for dealing with the newcomer to our area? There have been quite a few disappearances in the Port Angeles and Seattle area in the last few weeks. And now a girl was murdered and left in the woods behind Bella's house."

Jasper volunteered everyone's services right away. "The rest of us can patrol the woods at night. Hopefully we will run across this guy and move him along." He wanted to help and was still a little hurt that Bella didn't want him to be alone with Charlie.

"Why don't we start in the area surrounding where the body was left. Maybe we can catch his scent and see where it leads?" I added. The sooner we cleared this up, the more quickly we can go back to our normal lives. Although with Charlie having to work so much, Bella and I had more opportunities to be alone together. We certainly took advantage of that today.

"Can I go too?" Bella asked to no one in particular. I looked her over, noticing a light throbbing in her neck. Her blood called to me, invited me in. The soothing effects of what she had given me earlier had been pushed away as I flooded myself with animal blood. Now I was full to the point of discomfort with second rate sustenance, all in an effort to deceive my family. I forced myself to look away when the venom pooled in my aching throat.

"I don't think it's such a good idea, Bella," Esme said. "Why don't you stay here with me while the others investigate?"

I glanced at Bella and she looked lost. "It's for the best. We won't be gone long."

"I could talk to my father in the meantime."

"And I can make you lunch," Esme said excitedly and rushed into the kitchen to plan the meal.

"It's settled then," Carlisle said. "I have a shift to work at the hospital, but I'll help when I get home. You all know what to do?"

Everyone stood up, going their different directions in preparation for our expedition. Bella slid her body in close to mine and rested her cheek against my silent chest.

"Promise you won't be gone long."

I smiled into her hair as I kissed the top of her head. "It will be as if I'd just left. Besides, Esme loves trying to fatten you up."

"That's the last thing I need. But then we'll go home?" she asked, looking up at my face.

"I'll run you there myself in no time." I leaned down and our lips met in a slow, lingering kiss.

"We have to go," Alice interrupted. "You've had your fun for the day."

Bella untangled herself from my embrace. "Just how much did you see from this morning?" she asked Alice.

"This morning? Nothing." Alice said and looked away. "I spent the morning looking for that new vampire. No visions of you two."

A brief scene of Bella and I flashed from Alice's head. I was thoroughly lathering up Bella's back in her shower. I sucked in a breath and held it, my lips pressed firmly together which immediately alerted Bella.

"Spill, Alice. You did see something. Don't lie to me. Edward got to see the truth."

"Alright, alright," she said as she threw her hands in the air. "I saw the shower you guys took. That's it, just a few seconds before I shook the vision off."

Bella turned red and turned to me. "I swear your family has embarrassed me more than anyone else ever has, even myself."

Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper appeared in the doorway, waiting for Alice and me to join them.

"We'll be back soon," I said to Bella. I turned and followed the others out of the house, leaving Bella in the loving care of Esme and hoping this would be resolved peacefully and quickly.

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**Follow me on twitter (hmmille) for some of my train rants and updates for this fic. Please review, I would really appreciate the feedback.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: As usual, super huge thanks to my prereader Erikasbuddy and beta OnePushyFox. **

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**EPOV**

"All I smell is rotten flesh and wet, dead leaves," Rosalie spat as she covered her nose with her hand and backed away from where the girl's corpse had rested.

The rest of us also ignored the bright yellow tape warning, "Police Line: Do Not Cross." We entered the squared off area, just like she had done first. It wasn't as if we could leave behind anything that could be used to identify us, like skin, hair or fingerprints.

The constant drizzle left us soaking wet, with tiny streams of cold water running down our faces. The ground below us was muddy and slick with wet foliage. The chilled air slowly produced a fog that appeared to roll in from the mountains, blanketing the ground.

"Alice," I called, summoning her closer. "See anything new?"

"Same stuff as before," she answered. "What did you get from Charlie last night?"

"No blood, but I don't think it was an animal attack. Too neat and tidy."

Rosalie shook each of her feet, flinging mud all over the place. "Are we done playing CSI yet? You've just ruined my favorite boots by making me tromp out here for nothing."

Emmett took Rosalie by the hand and wrapped a large arm around her. "Don't be such a sourpuss, babe. I get to play cop with Charlie later." She scowled as he grinned and kissed her cheek.

Jasper's thoughts shouted his displeasure about Bella choosing Emmett to guard Charlie. As far as he was concerned, he was a soldier so he was the logical choice. "You two are gonna look like a bad buddy cop movie."

Alice stared at the ground for a few seconds and doubled over in a fit of laughter. "I can't wait to see you in your new uniform, Emmett."

Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie looked to Alice, waiting for her to describe his new work clothes. Meanwhile, Alice showed the vision to me and I started laughing too.

"Let's just say," she began. "That it will hug you in all of the wrong places. And it's very brown and polyester."

The amused look Emmett had on his face quickly fell to a scowl. "Oh man, I'm gonna have to wear that in public? We've got to convince him to let me wear something better than that."

"Like being a cop is so fashionable," Rosalie ribbed.

Alice stopped snickering long enough to answer him while the rest of us continued to laugh. "That's a no go, Emmett. He won't be able to explain your presence if you're not in uniform."

Suddenly all of us sprung to high alert, sensing a figure that was rapidly approaching us in the distance. The quickly forming fog masked whether the shape was human or animal. But it closed the distance with such swiftness, there was no way this was anything but a vampire.

The blurred figure ground to an abrupt halt about two hundred yards away, noticing the five of us waiting defensively for his arrival.

It was very clearly Mike Newton, and he unquestionably was no longer human.

"Um, hey guys," Mike said uncertainly. "What are you doing out here?"

"What does it look like? We're having a tea party in the middle of the woods?" Emmett replied.

Mike prepared to run, his crimson eyes nervously darting back and forth between all of our faces. After a quick sniff of the air, he put his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. "I didn't think there was anyone else like me around here."

Calm flooded over all of us, a slight grin crossed Mike's face as Jasper's influence took over.

"Who changed you?" I asked vehemently.

"I don't know. I just woke up in the woods like this after a few days of hell." He looked absently at his feet while he spoke. "Why do I feel so relaxed now?"

"You just love being around us, that's all," Rosalie sniped as she wrung out her now dripping hair. "I'm out of here. This was a _complete_ waste of time."

"I'll go with you, babe," Emmett said as he turned to follow Rosalie. They didn't see Mike as a threat so they had no qualms leaving us alone with him. It was still three against one, even if the one was a super strong newborn vampire.

After he watched them speed off on foot, Mike approached us asked another question. "Is your entire family like me?"

"Yes," I replied. Alice was uncharacteristically quiet, a stream of ever changing visions running through her mind like a movie playing on fast forward. It was dizzying trying to follow the possibilities and I made an effort to block her out just so I could focus.

"Did you have anything to do with the girl that was murdered last night?" I asked. Mike's mind broadcasted his thoughts loudly to me, so I had no trouble hearing them.

_Shit, they're going to know I killed that girl. I didn't mean to, my hunger took over and I couldn't help myself. I certainly didn't want to bring the girl to her. She can get off her depressed ass and find her own food._

I listened passively; the emotionless expression I usually displayed was on my face and not giving my telepathy away. I couldn't get a clear picture of the woman he was referring to, but someone was counting on him to deliver sustenance. Jasper kept silent as he flooded Mike with even more relaxing feelings.

"No answer, Mike?" Jasper asked calmly. No one spoke while Mike shifted his weight nervously from foot to foot. "So it's just a coincidence that you are taking this path? The path that goes directly past where a girl was brutally murdered by a vampire last night?" Jasper locked his eyes on Mike, waiting for him to make a move.

Alice finally pulled herself out of the visions. "Michael, why did you try to take Bella away last weekend?"

"I just wanted the company of a friendly face," he replied smugly. I knew better as I listened to his thoughts.

"You injured and frightened her," I replied flatly. Jasper's influence was ramped up so high that it wouldn't let the anger show in my voice.

"I didn't mean to scare her. I'm just not used to being this strong." The tone of his voice was even, almost trance-like.

"Michael, please stay away from Bella," Alice directed. "You mustn't mingle with humans while you are so very new."

"There are other ways, you know," Jasper added. "It's not easy, but you don't have to prey on humans."

"Really?" he asked. "What am I supposed to do, it's not like I have anyone telling me how being _this_ is supposed to go," he said as he gestured to his body with both of his hands.

In a tiny, but optimistic voice, Alice spoke as she took a few steps closer to Mike. "We could help you with everything."

Jasper and I snapped our gazes to her face at the same time, his calming influence abruptly cut off. Mike instantly became tense, ready to flee the area at the first sign of trouble.

"Can I think about it?" he asked. "I have to go now." He didn't wait for us to answer. We were left behind, silently watching his back as he ran towards town. He was on a path that would lead him straight to Bella's house. Thankfully she was safe at our home with Esme.

"Jasper," I said. "Can you pick up enough of his scent to trace it back to wherever he came from?"

"Of course I can. Hopefully all of this rain hasn't washed too much of it away." Jasper turned to Alice and swept his arm to the side with a sly smile. "Ladies first."

"We'll meet you at home, Edward," she said as they walked hand in hand deeper into the woods.

**BPOV**

"Hi, Dad," I said into my cell phone. Charlie didn't answer and I got his voicemail. "I'm at Edward's house. Could you please call me back? Esme has invited you out to have dinner with us."

I really wasn't sure how I would get my father to agree to Emmett tagging along with him while he worked. My father was very stubborn and would think he could protect himself from anything. How wrong he was. My experience with James proved just how helpless a human was against a vampire.

Before long, Rosalie and Emmett strolled into the house alone. I looked up from the magazine I was using to distract myself and anxiously smiled at them. "Any luck?" I asked.

"Yes and I'm soaking wet." Rosalie never broke stride while she spoke and took the stairs two at a time, disappearing around a corner on the second level. A faint trail of muddy footsteps was left behind in her wake.

"She ruined her favorite boots, didn't she?" I couldn't help the frown that spread across my face. I knew Rosalie would blame me for the destruction of her footwear, even though Alice would have another pair arrive at the house for her in short order.

"Yeah, but don't worry about it." Emmett closed the distance between us and spread a blanket over the cushions before he sat down next to me on the couch. He picked up the remote control and started flipping rapidly through the channels. Being wet didn't bother him in the least.

"Did you guys find the vampire?" I asked Emmett.

"Mmm-hmm," he responded, concentrating on finding something on television to watch. The new vamp in town must not be so important or I figured Emmett would tell me everything. I decided I would just wait for Edward.

Knowing he would be absorbed with his search, I returned to my magazine and tried to read once more. We sat side by side in companionable silence. He finally chose an old football game on ESPN Classic. Within five minutes I fell fast asleep while sitting up on the couch. The sound of whistles and cheers held no interest for me and helped lull me to sleep.

"Bella," a light female voice giggled. "Bella, wake up. You're drooling all over poor Emmett's shoulder."

I awoke with a start, flinging myself up to a sitting position. Alice, Edward, and Jasper stood just inside the doorway. The expressions on Alice and Jasper's face showed great amusement, but Edwards was one of suspicion and disapproval.

"What's going on?" I asked frantically. But then I spied a large area of drool on Emmett's half dry shirt from where my head had landed while I was sleeping. "Why didn't you just push me over the other way, Emmett?"

"I didn't want to disturb you since you were so peaceful. And I was waiting to see if you snore so I'd have some more ammunition in my 'make fun of Bella' file."

_Smartass._ "If you hadn't put on stupid sports, I wouldn't have dozed off." I stood up and stretched my arms above my head, which pulled my shirt up and revealed my bare stomach.

I guess that was the final straw for Edward. "Bella, stop exposing yourself to everyone," he scolded as he appeared before me and tugged my shirt down.

"What the hell, Edward?" I took a few steps away from him and straightened my blouse. "What's up with the extreme possessiveness all of a sudden?"

Before he could answer, the room was cleared of all vampires not involved in this disagreement. All I felt was a brisk breeze as Emmett whizzed by me and out the back hallway. Alice and Jasper disappeared out the front door just as quickly, slamming the door behind them as they escaped.

"I'm sorry, my love," Edward quietly said as he closed the distance and embraced me lightly.

I tensed up as he held me, not wanting to forgive him this so quickly. Plus he was wet and cold. "What happened out there that would make you act like such a jerk?"

"We found out who was watching your father last night." He rubbed my arms lightly as he spoke, trying to get back in my good graces.

"And?" I countered. Why did he always have to be so cryptic? I just wanted some straight answers for once, especially since my father was involved. I tapped my foot impatiently, still trapped in his embrace.

"It was Mike Newton, Bella." He finally sensed my unease and released my body from his grasp. "He's a vampire now and not like our coven at all."

I sat down on the couch and placed my head in my hands, hundreds of thoughts racing through my mind at once. Was Mike a vampire when he tried to make me leave my home last week? Did he want me for his next meal, not just friendly company? Why was he watching my father?

I looked up and met Edward's concerned eyes with my own. "So you mean the girl in the woods was his handiwork?"

"He didn't say it in so many words, but I got a very clear picture of what happened straight from his head."

"Oh," I said and slouched further into the couch. "So what was he doing watching my father?"

"It was pretty strange, like he wanted to make sure her body was found and cared for."

Alice spoke loudly from the front porch. "Your dad's calling, Bella. Tell him we're having meatloaf for dinner and he'll be here in a heartbeat." The ringing of my cell phone sounded as soon as she was done talking. "Is it safe for us to come in yet?"

"I better take this," I said to Edward before I stood up and went to the front door. I opened the door and answered the phone at the same time, pausing only to let Alice and Jasper walk in before I left.

"Hi, dad," I answered.

"_Hi, Bells"_ he said. _"You called me?"_

"Are you coming here for lunch? Esme has made a wonderful smelling meatloaf and it has your name all over it."

"_I don't know. I am awfully busy."_ He paused for a second. _"Did you say meatloaf? You never make that and it's one of my favorites."_

"So I'll see you soon?" I asked eagerly.

"_Just give me fifteen minutes."_

I went back into the house, where Edward was speaking quickly with Alice and Jasper. "Meatloaf was definitely the magic word. He'll be here shortly."

Alice's face lit up. "I told you he couldn't say no to free processed meat." She was so serious when she spoke. I decided that was my cue to leave the room so I wouldn't have an entire discussion about what appeal the taste of meatloaf held.

"I'll just go help Esme in the kitchen," I said, wanting to pass the time assisting where I could before Charlie arrived.

After a few minutes of setting the table in the kitchen for two, Charlie and Carlisle walked in from the mud room together.

"Look who I found out front when I got home for my dinner break," Carlisle said cheerfully. He floated across the room towards Esme, planting a kiss on her cheek when he reached her. I hoped that Edward and I could have that kind of a relationship someday.

Esme wiped her hands on a blue kitchen towel and directed her attention towards my father. "Hello, Charlie. I'm so glad you accepted our invitation."

My dad smiled warmly back at her. "Thanks for inviting me. The food smells and looks delicious."

"Please sit down," Esme motioned for both of us to be seated. She served up heaping platefuls of meatloaf, mashed sweet potatoes, and fresh baked rolls.

Charlie placed a large morsel of food in his mouth and smiled as he chewed. "This is heaven," he said. "Why don't you make this for me, Bells?"

I laughed lightly. "I'm not a big fan of squishing up all that ground up meat by hand. It grosses me out."

He looked at me strangely before he chuckled quietly. "I guess that's as good a reason as any."

We ate in comfortable silence, just like we were at home. All that was missing was the newspaper or a baseball game playing loudly in the background. Esme and Carlisle had excused themselves, with promises of returning shortly.

I could feel his presence before I saw him enter the room. Edward's intense gaze was loving, but still very possessing. Something must have rattled him when they ran across Mike earlier today.

My father noticed the direction of my gaze and turned in his seat to look. He promptly turned back to his plate to finish his meal.

"Good afternoon, Chief Swan," Edward said to my father's back.

"Edward," Charlie replied curtly with a slightly annoyed tone.

"Bella, could you show your father to the library when you're done. We have some pressing matters to discuss with our parents." Edward waited for my nod of agreement and noiselessly left the room.

"Dad," I began as I cleared the plates away, knowing this would be my only shot to help clean up around here before Esme ran back in. She was really serious about taking care of everything in her house. But I felt guilty if I didn't chip in to help, so I gathered things up as quickly as I could.

Before I could finish, Esme swooped in and took all of the dishes out of my hands. "Thank you for helping clean up the dishes, but I've got it. You two should meet Carlisle and Edward in the library.

"Okay," I said while I waited by the door for my father.

"The meal was wonderful, Esme," Charlie said. "Thank you."

"It was my pleasure, Charlie. You are always welcome in our home."

When we arrived in the library, both Edward and Carlisle stood up as we entered. Carlisle motioned for my dad to sit in a maroon high backed chair, while I sat next to Edward on the loveseat.

"So," my father said uncomfortably. He wasn't used to not being in charge of the conversation.

"Since the Quileutes have taken it upon themselves to alert you to what we are," Carlisle began. He sat down in the chair opposite Charlie and looked him in the eye. "And conveniently only after accidentally revealing that they can change into wolves. There are some things you need to know and understand to minimize the fallout from such knowledge."

Charlie shifted uncomfortably in his chair while Edward and I sat passively holding hands side by side on the plush cushions. Every time I had been in the library, I scanned the massive floor to ceiling shelves of books. Looking up and down the tall cases, I hoped to one day be asked to peruse the titles. But I didn't want to do so uninvited with so many centuries old tomes in one room.

"One of the most important things to remember is to speak of vampires to no one," Carlisle said plainly.

Charlie quickly replied. "I like being the chief of police in this town. No one wants a crazy cop on the job. If I started talking openly about vampires and werewolves to anyone, they'd get a padded room ready for me at the hospital."

"Now do you see why I never told you about them?" I said to my father.

He smirked at me and asked Carlisle a question. "Why are you and the Quileutes enemies?

"I'm sure that's an over-exaggeration on their part, Charlie," Carlisle said. "We've had a treaty with them for many years now and we peacefully coexist, albeit in segregation. Until Edward met Bella, we had no reason for our paths to cross."

The pieces of the story clicked into place for my father. "There seems to be no ill will on your part, Carlisle. I've been asked to meet with the Quileute elders tonight and I'll pass along that much."

Carlisle nodded in agreement. "This brings us to the next point of business. Has the girl you found in the woods been identified yet?"

"Lauren Mallory's dental records were compared with the victim so we could spare the parents the horror of identifying her body. They didn't match so we still don't know who the girl is."

I blew out the breath I had been holding. "That's good, right dad? Maybe Lauren is still alive and just ran off like we thought Mike Newton did?"

My father leveled his serious gaze at me. "It's hope for Lauren's family, but someone died in the woods behind our house last night."

"Speaking of Mike Newton," Edward said, breaking his silence. "He was turned into a vampire recently. We believe he killed that girl in the woods."

My father stared at Edward in disbelief. "So there's a crazed vampire preying on women in town? And you believe it's a local teenager."

"Yes, sir. We met him in the woods earlier where the body was dumped."

"Forgive me, Edward. But even if Mike confessed to you that he killed that poor girl, it won't hold up in court. It would just be hearsay."

Edward's eyes darkened as he started to grow angry. "I know he did it, Charlie," he said through clenched teeth. "I saw him kill her."

Charlie raised an eyebrow and pursed his lips together. "Are you saying you witnessed Michael Newton murder a woman and leave her body in the woods?"

Edward and Carlisle looked back and forth from Charlie to each other. They must be debating whether my father should know about Edward's gift. No one spoke for what felt like an eternity, but was probably around thirty seconds.

I couldn't sit by and watch my father get increasingly frustrated with the lack of response from the two vampires in the room. "Edward was with me most of last night, remember? How could he have watched Mike do that?"

"If I recall correctly, Bella. Your boyfriend here dropped you off and was gone for at least an hour before he arrived at our house again. It could be seen as quite the coincidence that he leaves you alone and then shows back up at our house right before the girl's body is found by Jacob."

Edward and Carlisle didn't dispute my father's accusations. I threw my hands in the air. "For Christ's sakes, why don't you just tell him already? Or I will!"

Carlisle spoke first. "This is ludicrous, Charlie. My family does not kill humans. If we have ingested human blood lately, our eyes would be red in color."

My father's eyes darted quickly back and forth between their faces. "Bella, is the eye thing true?"

"Yes it is. I've witnessed it firsthand. They're telling you the truth. Edward had nothing to do with this murder."

"Then why did Edward say he witnessed it?"

Carlisle leaned forward in his chair. "Tell him, son. It's the easiest and quickest way to make him understand."

I grabbed Edward's hand and held on firmly, giving him what support I could. Who knows how Charlie would react to the news that my boyfriend could hear every little thing inside is head.

"I'm a telepath. When we met Mike, he remembered killing the girl and I could see the images from his mind."

Charlie scoffed. "Are you kidding me? First there's boys that turn into giant wolves, next there's vampires. Now you're going to add on some kind of psychic ESP crap too?"

"You just thought that you must be crazy for letting your daughter spend so much time with us wackos." A smug smile spread across Edward's face while he waited for Charlie to react.

"Son of a bitch! I don't have time to deal with all of this. There's still a missing girl I have to find." My father stood up and started to walk out of the room. He turned around in the doorway and faced Edward and me. "You didn't happen to pluck any info on Lauren Mallory out of vampy Mike's head while you were digging around in there, did you?"

"No, sir. The only other thing I found out was that he was watching you with great interest while you were in the woods guarding the crime scene last night. And he's much more interested in Bella than he is letting on."

My father turned to leave. "Wait, don't go. I'm afraid that Mike or whoever made him will hurt you if you get too close. Please let one of the Cullen's go with you while you're working."

A flash of shock and despair filled Charlie's face before he reclaimed his normal calm demeanor. "How the hell am I going to pull that off, Bells? I can take care of myself. You don't have to worry about me."

Carlisle stood up and sided with me. "She's right, Charlie. Humans are no match for one of us. When we are reborn as a vampire, we are very strong and volatile, easy to anger. It's very hard for a newborn to control his hunger. Emmett should go with you until we are sure that he poses no threat to you or your men."

A shrill tone peeled through the air, making me jump in fright. My dad's personal cell phone was ringing, but he ignored it while he mulled over my plea for protection and Carlisle's assurance that it was necessary. He finally answered on the fifth ring, right before the call went to voicemail.

While my father continued his conversation in the hallway outside of the library, I took the opportunity to speak with Edward. "Did he believe you about the whole mind reading thing?" I asked.

"Since I quoted what he was thinking almost verbatim, he didn't have much choice did he?"

I was glad that my father wasn't skeptical, but this knowledge must not be easy for him. Charlie walked back into the room, placing his phone in his shirt pocket as he approached us. "We won't be going to the reservation tonight. Billy called and said that it's not safe right now. They have a vampire on their territory at the moment."

My stomach clenched. "They don't think it's one of the Cullen's, do they?"

"I assured him that the entire family was here with me at the moment, so they have a stranger on their land."

Carlisle strode towards the door. "We will check out what we can from our territory. It's probably best if Edward stays with you until this is resolved."

We walked through the house, saying our goodbyes as we made our way to the front door.

Charlie unlocked the doors of his police car. "You can both ride in the cruiser. Bella, you're in front."

"I can't sit in the back with Edward?" I asked, but my father was already in the car and turning his key in the ignition. The engine roared to life as Edward got in the back seat, wire mesh now separating me from the love of my life. I sighed and sat down in the passenger seat, buckling myself in for the short trip home.

When we arrived in our dark driveway, I opened Edward's door for him and started for the house. Charlie had a five foot head start, his keys in hand ready to unlock the door. The motion sensor flood light that normal clicked on when someone entered the driveway remained dark.

"I think the bulb burned out, dad," I called. I took a few more steps before catching the toe of my shoe on a rather large rock in the gravel. Edward reached out to catch me as I fell, but a different cold hand gripped my arm and hauled me upright.

I peered through the dark to discern who caught me and my breath hitched as I gasped. "Mike, what are you doing here?" He didn't let go of my arm when Edward lunged for him. I was flung along the gravel as the vampires grappled with each other.

"Don't hurt him," I screamed. I knew Mike would be much stronger than Edward since he was a newborn and drank human blood.

Charlie heard my screams and ran from the house with his gun drawn. Neither man stopped wrestling violently with each other. Deep scars formed in our yard where powerful legs dug in to gain leverage.

"Bella, back up right now," he said as he came closer, his gun aimed at my boyfriend and my former classmate.

"You can't shoot them. It won't do any good," I explained breathlessly.

He didn't listen and fired off a round towards the two figures brawling at lightning speed. The bullet ricocheted off of Mike's bicep and embedded itself in the ground a foot away from me.

"I told you not to shoot!" I screamed. "You nearly shot me!"

But Charlie wasn't listening to me; he was too busy talking to himself. "What the hell are these guys made of?"

The gunshot had created enough of a diversion so Edward could put Mike in a headlock. "Are you okay, Bella," he asked anxiously while he tightened his grip on the newborn's neck.

"I'm fine," I answered quickly.

My father was still muttering to himself while Edward grilled Mike. "I would have let you live if you would have stayed away from her. We even would have helped you learn a new way of life. But you didn't listen, did you?"

Mike struggled to loosen Edward's grip, but he couldn't gain an advantage. A loud cracking noise sounded across the yard as Edward continued to squeeze the life out of Mike.

With one last ditch effort, Mike gripped Edward's forearms tightly with each hand. Suddenly, a blinding red light blasted out from each of Mike's palms and they both fell to the ground.

"Edward!" I screamed, running towards his body resting prone on the ground. Mike's neck was riddled with tiny cracks that were knitting themselves closed as I watched.

"Don't leave me," I cried into his chest. "Dad, you have to call Carlisle. He'll know what to do."

My father searched on the ground for Edward's cell phone that had been flung out of his coat during the fight.

"Come back," I sobbed into my hands. "Don't die, Edward. I need you."

I cried on Edward's chest, willing him to sit up and embrace me. But instead I was viciously ripped from his body by a cold, cruel hand gripping my arm. I tried to fight back, but I was thrown over Mike's shoulder so fast that my father couldn't even react. It took a few short seconds for Mike to dart into the woods carrying me like a fragile sack of potatoes.

"Daddy!" I cried as my house disappeared from my view. The ride was so bumpy and jarring over Mike's shoulder. The world went black. I welcomed the dark abyss with Edward as my final thought.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Erikasbuddy and OnePushyFox are the best prereaders and beta around, hands down. Since I will be participating in NaNoWriMo again this November, I won't be updating at all during this month. You get into quite a few people's heads during this chapter. I will do my best to update on Halloween so I don't leave the fate of Bella hanging in the air like that. If you enjoy this story, please pass it on and review. **

**EPOV**

The bright sun shone through a crystal blue sky. I lifted my hand to shade my eyes from the intense light, looking up and down the street to make sure that no one witnessed the rays refracting off of my bare skin. But the beams didn't reflect off of my hand. The heat was simply absorbed directly into my hand. I closed my eyes and held my arms out, relishing the warmth.

"Edward," a female voice called to me. "We're going to be late for church."

I turned towards the voice, which was so familiar yet such a fuzzy distant memory. Finally, my eyes settled on the woman who had admonished me to hurry up. She was dressed in her Sunday finest, a black feathered hat atop her head. I couldn't believe my eyes. "Mother."

I walked towards her, meeting her on the sidewalk as my father locked the front door of our house. "Father," I said in greeting. It seemed like I hadn't seen them in years, but at the same time it felt like I had never left.

"We'll have to walk quickly if we're to make it on time," my father said as he checked the time on his pocket watch. He placed the silver watch and chain back into the inner jacket pocket of his grey suit and offered his arm to my mother. "Shall we?"

They walked arm in arm and I followed directly behind them. It was only a few city blocks from our house to the church and we arrived with only a few minutes to spare. The brick cathedral stood impressively before us and I stopped to adjust my tie before entering.

The ushers opened the doors as my father and mother walked up the stairs. Once they passed through the entryway into the vestibule, my parents turned and waited for me to ascend the steps. When I reached the top, the ushers blocked my path with their outstretched arms.

"Please let my son enter," my father said sternly. My mother looked on, nothing but fear and tears in her eyes as she clung desperately to her husband's side.

"_He_ is not allowed admittance," usher on the left said.

"Only those with complete souls can commune within," said the one on the right.

The heavy oak doors slammed shut before me. I pulled with my full weight repeatedly on each door and pounded with both fists on the dark wood. "Please let me in," I plead loudly. "I belong with my mother and father." No one passed through those thick doors while I tried to gain entry.

After several minutes of pulling and banging until my hands ached, I slowly gave up the fight. I sat on the cold stone steps, sobbing quietly to myself at being denied entry to heaven.

**BPOV**

The shivering encompassed my entire body, spreading like liquid nitrogen through my veins. I was so cold, my teeth clattered together forcefully. "Edward," I said, my voice scratchy and uneven from sleep. "Could you get me another blanket? I'm so cold."

My request was met with complete silence. No traffic noise, no dogs barking, not even my father's snoring from down the hall. If I hadn't heard myself speak and the slow pattern of my light breathing, I would have thought I'd gone deaf.

"Edward?" I said again, hoisting myself to a sitting position. The night was so dark and moonless; it was like I was in a room devoid of windows. With my vision diminished, my other senses stepped up to pick up the slack. The air smelled musty and dirty, not at all like the homey smell of rose scented fabric softener mixed with Edward in my room. My cheeks stung from the cold air that surrounded me. Reality slapped me with great force. I wasn't at home in bed with Edward. I was on a hard, dirty surface in the pitch black.

"Help!" I screamed, hoping someone heard my pleas. I sat helplessly in the dark, crying for someone to save me.

A wooden door crashed open, flooding the room with moonlight. "It's useless to scream, Bella," Mike calmly stated. "No one can hear you all the way out here."

He dropped a pile of wood on the floor just inside the doorway. Wiping his hands on his jeans, he turned to close the door and once more encased the room in total darkness. From the brief glimpse I had gotten of my place of captivity, we were in some kind of rustic cabin.

Panic started to creep in, tickling the edges of my sanity. I was alone with my kidnapper, a boy I had once known as a friend. Now he wanted me for himself and had killed my one true love to steal me away. My heart ached for Edward, his touch, his kiss, his scent. My breathing came in gasps, a panic attack threatening to take over and leave me incoherent.

"You're scared of little old me, Bella?" he breathed in my ear. His icy breath spread across my neck, goose bumps breaking out as it crept down my back. "It's just your old pal, Mike. Nothing to be afraid of here." His voice cut through the night air like the talons of a vulture.

I swallowed loudly, mustering up the courage to speak. "If I shouldn't be afraid of you, why did you kidnap me?"

"You wouldn't join me willingly, so I had no other choice."

Anger started to bubble to the surface and hatred filled my voice. "You killed Edward."

"He tried to kill me first," he replied without emotion.

The cold air swirled around me as Mike left my side. The sound of wood chattering against wood filled the room. A glimpse of flame dimly lit the area before setting the small pile of wood ablaze in the corner of the room. Thank God wherever I was had a fireplace and Mike was using it. Did he know that the venom in every inch of his body was extremely combustible? I said a quick prayer that he would catch himself on fire and I would be free. One errant ember was all it would take. The flames had licked up James' body, completely engulfing him in a matter of seconds. I could use that kind of diversion as a chance to escape.

"You should have worn a coat," he said as he stoked the fire with a long metal rod, carefully prodding the flames to spread and intensify.

"I didn't think I'd be freezing my ass off when some psycho decided to take me," I replied, my voice full of disdain.

"You should be nicer to me. I'm in control now. Go sit by the fire and warm up."

I slowly stood up while he continued to poke at the flames. This was probably the only chance I had to break free. I willed my legs to move as fast as they could, my arms pumping as I propelled my body towards the door.

Before I could take another breath, he sped across the room and blocked the only exit in an instant. "I'm a vampire, remember? That crap won't work with me now."

I shrank away from him as he reached out for my arm. He dug his stone fingers into my forearm as he held me firmly in place. "You're hurting me."

"Rule number one, no escaping." He pulled my body effortlessly to a ratty old chair, dropping me down to the tattered cushion which released a dirty cloud of dust.

I slammed my eyes shut, hoping that Alice would somehow get a vision of this moment and initiate a rescue effort. Suddenly, my arms were jerked behind my back. "Not so rough," I complained.

"I didn't want to do this, but you've made me," he said as he tied my hands together behind the chair. Next, he began anchoring both of my ankles to the chair legs.

"Why am I here?" I asked, hoping for an inkling of my fate.

"There are bigger plans for you." His smile closely resembled a sneer. "Now that I'm a vampire, I'm better than he ever was. It's my turn." He added a few more logs to the fire before turning back to face me again.

I didn't like his train of thought. "I'm so cold. Could you move me closer to the fireplace?" I asked sweetly.

"Now that's the Bella I know and love." He quickly picked up the chair and me as one unit, setting us down with a loud thud about three feet from the hearth. The chair creaked and rattled but held firmly together.

"Do you know what happens to vampires if they stand too close to a flame?"

He looked perplexed for a second before answering. "No, what? They get warm?"

"You really know nothing about being a vampire," I spat. He was somewhat clueless as a human. But now he was completely moronic as a vampire. Whoever changed him didn't tell him jack squat about his kind.

Anger flashed through his darkening eyes. Without warning, my head was forced to the side, exposing my vulnerable neck. "I know the important things, Bella," he said into my throat.

I cringed away from his threat; the closeness of his venom coated teeth to my thin flesh was too frightening. Instead of a powerful jaw clamping onto my neck, cold lips brushed the skin just below my ear. I froze in place and didn't even blink or breathe. I knew to do this mostly from instinct, but also from the hours of conditioning while holding still for Edward as we explored each other. I didn't want to die and I certainly wasn't going to provoke Mike into any rash reactions.

As quickly as he had been at my neck, he backed away and stood before me. The air between us warmed up instantly by the fire. "Rule number two, don't ask questions."

I kept my mouth shut while I stared darkly back at him. I only hoped if he was hungry he'd go elsewhere.

He cocked his head to the side and licked his lips, eyeing my neck once more. "I've got to go. Behave yourself while I'm gone."

He left the cabin quickly, leaving me utterly alone and bound to an uncomfortable chair with nothing to do but await my fate. At least I was warm for now.

**Charlie POV**

I shoved my gun into my holster and crouched on the ground next to my daughter's vampire boyfriend. Pressing my fingers into the flesh of his neck, I tried to feel for a pulse. There was nothing but unyielding skin that was as hard as stone underneath my warm fingertips.

"Shit," I said out loud to no one. Not more than a few minutes earlier, I had watched another vampire tear off into the woods with my daughter thrown over his shoulder. I could still hear her screaming for me as they disappeared into the thick expanse of evergreens behind our house. I gave chase leaving Edward behind on the lawn, but soon gave up and returned to my property. Bella and Mike just disappeared so damn fast that I knew I would need outside help to find them.

And now I had her boyfriend's body cluttering up my yard. He had no pulse, but I didn't know if vampires even had a pulse. From the temperature of his body, I normally would have guessed that he had been dead for many hours if he was human. He was unconscious on the ground for only a few minutes, so they must have a different temperature setting than the living do. If only I could go back a few days and avoid learning about any of this. I liked the world much better without the existence of vampires and werewolves.

As I knelt to check on Edward, the cell phone I had dropped by my feet vibrated to life in the dirt. "Hello," I answered.

"Charlie, its Alice. I'll be there in two minutes. Don't try to move him."

"Okay," I said and hung up. Relief washed over me as I realized I wouldn't have to deal with this problem by myself. The respite was short lived as my stomach twisted into tight knots over the disappearance of my daughter. How the hell did Alice know something was wrong with Edward? I didn't have the chance to call anyone. _Must be another vampire trait or something_, I thought.

While I waited for her to arrive, I made a phone call of my own to Billy Black. I explained quickly that a local boy is a vampire now and decided to abduct Bella. He agreed to have the wolves look for her when they were done dealing with a female vampire that was running around on their land at the moment. However, he agreed to send Jacob out to help look for her. It was like there was a plague of new vampires overcoming Forks and we were all stretched too thin.

As soon as I ended my phone call, Alice appeared in front of me and knelt down beside her brother.

"How long has he been like this, Charlie?" she asked while she ran her hands along his neck.

"About five minutes," I replied. "Is he alive?"

She placed her palms on his chest and closed her eyes. After sitting silently for a minute, she opened her eyes and stood up. "Yes, he is alive. We must get him inside."

I reached down to grab his body, intending to hoist him up when she motioned for me to stop. "I've got him." She effortlessly lifted him over her petite shoulder, his arms dangling limply behind her back and his fingers nearly dragging on the ground.

I held the door open for her as she walked into our house and gently placed Edward on the couch.

"I tried to shoot Mike but my bullet just ricocheted right off of him," I admitted to Alice.

"I know you did. You should have listened to Bella when she told you it would be of no use."

I wrinkled my brow and thought about what she had just said. "How did you know we needed you?"

"I saw it in one of my visions," she answered simply. She held Edward's hand in hers and gently stroked the back of it with her other hand.

"Hmm," was all I mustered up as an answer.

"No one told you?" she asked. I nodded my head and Alice continued. "I can see the future. Unfortunately, I saw what Mike did to Edward almost as soon as it happened so I couldn't get here more quickly."

"So what exactly did Mike do to Edward? I figured you guys were pretty much indestructible after my bullet hit Mike and bounced off like it was a paper spit wad."

"It must be his gift," she replied. "I've never seen anything like it before. It's as if he just put Edward to sleep with the shiny red light that shot out of his hands."

"And that shouldn't be possible, right?" I paced nervously back and forth, wanting desperately to search for Bella.

"That's not a good idea right now, Charlie," she said sweetly but forcefully in that voice of hers. "It won't end well for you or Bella if you hunt Mike down by yourself."

I slumped into my recliner since wearing a path in the carpet was making me even more anxious.

"How can you be so relaxed? Your brother is unconscious and your best friend, my daughter, is out there with a psycho vampire right now. We need to do something."

She appeared to tune me out and sat quietly gazing at Edward's sleeping face. "She's in a hunting cabin alone. There's a fire burning so she can stay warm, but she is unable to move."

"But she's safe, right? We'll have time to find her?" I didn't even know if I could trust what Alice was saying. But I didn't have much choice right now. I couldn't take the chance of going into the mountains to find her by myself.

"She's scared, but physically she's safe."

Edward stirred in his sleep, mumbling something about hell and Bella as he turned over on his side.

"How long do you think he'll be out for the count?" I asked.

"He will wake up very soon. Only a matter of minutes now."

Not happy with sitting idly by, I got up and reloaded my gun. I also grabbed my hunting rifle and a shoved a ton of shells in my pockets. I'd find a way to injure that bastard if it was the last thing I did.

**EPOV**

I stopped sobbing and sat on the steps of the church while my tears dried, waiting for a miracle. That's when my Bella appeared before me in a flowing white dress; a wreath of white roses topped her long brown hair and forming an angelic halo.

She lovingly placed her hand on my shoulder and bent to speak in my ear. "You don't belong here without me. It's not quite our time yet," she whispered.

"But they said I couldn't go in without a soul," I answered, choking on the words.

She pulled me to my feet and kissed my lips gently. "Your soul isn't whole without mine. We will go together."

I tried to conceal the doubt in my eyes by closing them tightly as I held Bella against my chest. We stayed like that as the church clock ticked the minutes by, her hands stroking my back as I clung to her as if I was what anchored this angel to earth.

Suddenly, she was ripped out of my arms by a blond stranger. He hugged her to him tightly with one arm around her neck and the other around her waist, her back pressed tightly to the front of his body. "She's mine now to do with as I please. You've lost your chance."

Before I could get my very human body moving towards the interloper, he bent his head to her smooth neck and bit down with shiny white teeth. Blood rushed from the gaping wound into his mouth and down her shoulder, soiling her white dress. She gasped in pain, writhing to get free from her tormentor as he ran his free hand along her breast while he drank deeply.

"Edward," she rasped. "Help me." Her words came to me as if under water.

I moved one foot in front of the other, trying desperately to reach her in time. But I didn't get to her before she went limp and sagged in his arms.

"Too late for you, Eddie boy. Now you'll never pass those pearly gates," he taunted and dropped Bella's lifeless body to the dirty ground like a sack of potatoes.

"Bella," I whimpered.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Oh well, it tasted good while it lasted." He stepped over her and started down the street.

I threw myself on her wilted form. "You'll pay for this," I threatened as he laughed at me from several yards away.

"No I won't," he replied as he turned and approached me menacingly. With one quick motion, he reached down and snapped my neck. The darkness quickly enveloped me like a drawn curtain signally the final act.

My eyes snapped open and I sucked in a large breath, trying to grasp my surroundings.

"Welcome back, Edward," Alice said as she stroked my arm. "How long was he out in total, Charlie?

Bella's father looked at his watch before replying. "A little under half an hour."

"Where's Bella?"

Alice and Charlie looked at each other as if debating about who would tell me first.

"Mike has her," Charlie replied and handed over my cell phone. "As soon as you were unconscious, he ran off with her into the woods."

"Emmett and Jasper are tracking their scents as we speak."

I rose to my feet quickly. "Let's go."

"I'm coming with you," Charlie said while he grabbed his coat and guns.

"No you're not. You'll just slow me down," I replied and ran out the door. I stopped in the scarred yard, breathing deeply to catch the scent of Mike and Bella.

Charlie and Alice appeared on the porch. She turned to him and spoke. "I'll take you with me."

"I'll call when I find Bella." I broke into a dead sprint and infiltrated the woods, hoping to recapture her quickly. Mike would pay for his sins.

**Alice POV**

Charlie drove his police cruiser through Forks with the lights and sirens blaring. He maintained a straight course while he talked to Billy Black on the phone. He ended the call and made a sharp right hand turn at the mountain road that led to my house.

"Billy said that they lost the female when she crossed over onto your territory."

"That makes her our problem now," I replied.

We parked in the front driveway and were immediately met by Emmett and Jasper.

"Mike has been a very busy boy," Emmett said.

Jasper crossed his arms over his chest. "There are so many scent trails from Mike that it's impossible to find which one is the strongest."

"Did you follow any of them?" Charlie asked the boys.

"We've been following them for the last hour." Jasper shifted his weight from side to side, eager for a fight. I knew my hands would be full after we found Bella since he had shifted into military mode.

"He's been by your house so many times, Chief, that I think it permanently smells like Mike out behind there in the woods." Emmett wrinkled his nose as if Mike's scent was unpleasant, but I knew he was displeased with the amount of attention that Mike must have directed towards Bella without any of us knowing.

Charlie looked distressed and ran his hand over his revolver on his hip. "So how are we going to find her?"

I tried to soothe his fear by showing him that we would tirelessly search for Bella. "We'll have to follow the trails further up into the mountains."

He looked at me expectantly and the other boys waited for their orders. Suddenly, I remembered some details from my vision of Bella. "Do the Newton's own a cabin in the mountains?"

The police chief's eyes lit up. "One of the times I went into the Newton's store, the father wouldn't shut up about how the cabin they purchased was so secluded they needed GPS to find it. He was so proud, like it made it some kind of adventure."

"We've got to get the coordinates of that cabin somehow," Jasper said.

"I could go sweet talk Mrs. Newton into telling me where it is," Emmett offered.

Charlie pulled out his cell phone to check for the time or missed calls, but this simple gesture gave him an idea. "Does Bella's new cell phone have GPS enabled?" he asked me.

"Oh my God, yes it does!" I said. "I'll go inside and activate the tracking software from Edward's laptop."

Charlie shook his head. "No time, you can use the one in the car, Alice. We're going to buy a handheld device to find Bella."

"Does Bella even have her cell phone turned on and with her?" Emmett asked.

"I hope so," Charlie replied while he got in the driver's seat and started the engine.

I gave Jasper a quick peck on the cheek. "You two have to keep an eye out for Lauren. She's not missing anymore since she turned up on the wolves' territory as a vampire."

"How did you find this out?" Emmett asked.

"Billy Black called Charlie to let him know that she crossed over into our territory. My visions filled in the rest about her identity. She just woke up a few hours ago and she's very hungry. It's probably a good idea to keep her away from town."

"Will do. I'll tell the others," Jasper answered as I got in the car with Charlie and drove towards the Newton's store.

"I know what happened to Lauren Mallory, Charlie" I said while I swiveled the laptop mounted in the cruiser towards me.

"Please don't tell me she's a vampire too," he answered.

I nodded and he swore under his breath. "It's like a damned plaque around here."

I called Edward to find out how to activate the family locator service on Bella's cell phone. He said that he had no luck finding Mike or Bella because he couldn't figure out which scent trail to follow. I told him to meet us back at home and we'd go from there.

After a few minutes of clicking the right choices on our cell phone carrier's website, I was looking at a red dot on a large map representing the location of Bella's phone. "Bingo!" I said loudly, startling Charlie.

"You've got a location?"

"I'm writing down the coordinates now and it doesn't look like she's on the move."

We went into the store and selected a GPS device. None of the Newton's manned the cash register, so I couldn't use my charm to get any information out of them about their son.

While Charlie and I set up the tracker on the hood of his car in the darkening parking lot, I heard the rustle of dead leaves from the forest behind us. Thinking it was just an animal, I turned my attention back to helping ready the GPS device. The crunching grew louder and faster in pace, like slow footsteps had turned into sprinting footfalls. I registered the presence of another vampire right before Lauren Mallory stepped out of the dark woods and ran full speed towards us. She hadn't yet fed and was starving for a warm human. Unfortunately for her, she went after Charlie and I was here to stop her.

Before she reached him, I stood protectively in front and shielded him with my slight frame. I yanked her by the arm and twisted hard as she tried to nip around me at Charlie; a sickening cracking noise filled the air. Her limb dangled limply by her side but she came at us again.

"I don't have time to deal with you, Lauren," I said as I dragged her kicking and screaming into the forest.

"Let go of me, you bitch!" she screamed.

"Bitch? Who are you calling a bitch?" I spat back. I ripped the injured limb right off of her body and threw her arm to the ground while she howled in pain.

Charlie had taken advantage of this diversion and jumped into the car. The engine roared to life as I slammed into the passenger seat, tires squealing as we quickly left the parking lot.

"We're on our way, Bella. Hold on." I said, activating the GPS device and typing in her coordinates. Hopefully Bella's phone was in her pocket and undetected by Mike.

* * *

Chapter 11

* * *

Chapter 11


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thanks to my beta and prereader, OnePushyFox and Erikasbuddy. I'm participating in NaNoWriMo this month (it's all about the zombies, baby) so Chapter 13 will be up in the beginning of December. Thanks for reading and passing the word along. **

Chapter 12

**BPOV**

A chill crept slowly up my back, making me shiver even though the front of my body felt like it was on fire. Sweat poured down my face, dampening the collar of my shirt. What once was a raging fire had died down into a few strong flames licking at the greyish-black wood. But the less intense heat was no comfort to my sweltering form.

I wasn't sure how long Mike had been gone. Being left alone, tied to an uncomfortable dusty old chair a few feet from the fireplace, left me few options. I prayed, hoping someone would hear my pleas and I would be rescued. And I thought about the people I love, Charlie, Renee, and most of all Edward. What would they do if I didn't make it home?

The dirty rope grated against my already raw skin as I tried to set my limbs free. A small trickle of warm liquid slowly ran down my shin towards my foot, making me flail even harder to be free. I desperately needed to scratch the itch that was left in the blood flow's wake.

"Someone, please help me," I whimpered, knowing that I was doomed to wait for as long as Mike saw fit to stay away.

The heat from the fireplace had become unbearable and my mouth grew drier by the second. The clothes I wore seemed to burn into my skin. I tried to scoot the chair away from the heat source just to get a little relief for my overheated body. Leaning my weight forward in the rickety four-legged prison cell that I was bound to, I flung myself backwards. Momentum carried the chair and me back a few inches. But the balance was unsteady since one chair leg was shorter than the others and I finally toppled over onto the dusty wooden floor. I was still attached to the chair and now doomed to rest on the dirty floor boards. At least the front part of my body was no longer facing the flames. The cold air from the backside of the cabin chilled my sweat soaked body quickly.

Mike had been smart in the way that he had bound me to the chair. The rope was wrapped around my limbs in such a way that everything was intertwined. Even if I could break free of the chair somehow, I would still be tied with my arms behind me and my feet behind me as well. Going limp, I finally surrendered and lay still in silence.

**EPOV**

"We're getting close to the cell phone, Edward," Alice said as she walked quickly beside me.

Charlie glanced at the GPS device from the other side of Alice. "About another half-mile and we'll be there." He was getting winded, but he continued to hike next to us without complaint.

It had taken much longer to go this far into the dense forest than it would have if it was just Alice and me. Charlie insisted on coming along and I wasn't going to deny his request. I needed to stay on his good side. We were both desperate to get Bella back safely. If worse came to worse, the presence of two potential human meals would distract Mike enough for us to rip him apart before I burned his body.

An unpleasant smell blanketed the area, the air filling with the scent of wet dog that grew more intense as the seconds ticked by. Approaching the location where the GPS tracker told us Bella's cell phone was located, Jacob Black appeared, falling into line with our search party as he walked next to Charlie.

"Thanks for helping out, Jake," Charlie said as he clapped Jacob on the shoulder.

"Dad said you could use the help to find Bella, so I came right away. I want to see her safe. Plus I might get to kick some vampire ass while I'm at it," he mumbled.

"Hey, we heard that," Alice said offended.

The four of us walked along in silence, making slow progress towards our goal. I fought the urge to snatch the GPS receiver out of Alice's hand and make a run for it, leaving everyone behind in the dust. While I was content to pass the agonizing time in silence, the others weren't so inclined.

"That new lady vamp tried to eat me in the Newton's parking lot," Charlie said, acting like it was no big deal.

"Sorry about that, we can't take care of her when she's not on our land. We almost had her a few times, but she was so quick and really unpredictable," Jacob explained.

"Our family will take care of her," Alice said. The rest of our coven had gone in search of Lauren while we left to find Bella. Alice spoke so confidently while she showed me her vision, one with Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie ripping Lauren apart while Carlisle and Esme started a fire to incinerate her.

"We're almost there," she said, slowing in pace and looking around. The area was dense with coniferous trees; their needles formed a brownish green blanket over the terrain. But there was no sign of Bella.

Charlie leaned down and plucked something from the detritus on the ground. "I found something," he said as he picked it up. "It's Bella's phone."

I closed my eyes, frustration building to an explosive maximum. "Let me see that, please." He handed over the phone and I hit the power button. The screen lit up like a spot light in the dark night, revealing a picture of myself. "Damn it. It is Bella's."

"It must have fallen out of her pocket when Mike brought her through here," Alice answered.

Jacob sniffed the air before turning to Charlie. "I can smell the blood sucker that took her. I can find her for you."

I concentrated on the various odors surrounding us. The strong stench coming from Jacob even in his human form, the aftershave Charlie used, Alice's various perfumes and beauty products were comingled. But I could isolate Mike's scent with a hint of Bella's essence. Both were fading fast and we needed to act now.

"There are two different trails here. One leads further up the mountain and the other leads west." Jacob added.

"We should split up," I offered. "Alice and I will follow the path into the higher elevations. You two will follow the trail west."

My decision was met with resistance from Charlie. "I should go with you two."

Alice stepped into the conversation. "I'm not sure how far up the mountain we have to go, Charlie. It will be too cold and the air too thin for you to adjust quickly. I'll contact you if we find her."

Charlie begrudgingly accepted Alice's advice. The wolf and Bella's father hurried away towards the west with Jacob's nose leading the way.

I stood motionless with my eyes closed, reaching out with all of my senses looking for a whisper of Bella.

_What the hell is he doing?_ _This is no time for meditation. _Alice thought.

"If you'd be quiet, you could listen for a sign of Bella too," She shut her eyes tightly and concentrated just like I was.

The forest was completely still. Animals had a natural instinct to avoid us and they had fled long before we reached this area. After a few minutes of quiet focus, I opened my eyes. "Did you hear that, Alice?"

Her expression brightened. "It's faint, but she's nearby."

"Exactly," I said. "Why do you think I sent Charlie and the mutt away? It was much too loud with their hearts pounding in their chests for me to listen for Bella's."

The quiet, even beating of Bella's heart was a sound that I would recognize forever. I dashed off towards the source, knowing that I would find her very soon. Alice could easily catch up with me.

**Jasper POV**

We caught up with the newborn female vampire just inside the wooded area at the far end of Newton's parking lot. The five of us formed a semi-circle some distance inside the tree line, not wanting to scare her into running away. As we slowly closed the distance, I noticed that she sat on the dirty ground, cradling her left arm to her chest. She must have awoken all alone, with no one there to guide her through the transition from human to vampire. I actually felt a little sorry for her, even though she had been the biggest bitch at Forks High School.

When we were within one hundred yards of the newborn, we quickly closed rank on my command and formed a tight circle around her. Lauren jumped to her feet, still holding her torn off arm to her chest with the other one. A large stain of her leftover human blood spread across the thin shirt she wore. The crimson liquid slowly ran down from her shoulder socket and from the unattached limb in her hand. Her head whipped from side to side as she turned in a circle, realizing that she was surrounded.

Lauren's pain and anxiety mowed me over like a steam roller. I felt a twinge of pity for the girl and wanted to ease her suffering, and subsequently my own. I directed calming waves at only her since we all needed to be alert enough in case she panicked and attacked.

Carlisle took a tentative step forward. "Lauren, do you know what's happened to you?"

"Some crazy girl ripped off my arm and ruined my favorite shirt, for starters," she said, shaking her dismembered limb at Carlisle for emphasis.

My gift apparently didn't affect her innate bitchiness. "Alice was protecting Chief Swan from you. You're lucky you aren't a pile of ash right now."

Lauren looked stricken for a moment, but her face returned to the normal icy expression she had always worn as a human. Emmett and Rosalie snickered loudly, but a stern look from Esme shut them up quickly.

"We can help you reattach that, if you'd like," Esme offered.

"Why would you help me? Lauren asked. "I don't even _know_ you."

Carlisle took another step towards the newborn, closing the distance inch by inch. "We like to help people. I'm a doctor at Forks Hospital, remember?"

"Doctor Cullen?" she asked with a spark of recognition in her eyes. "What has happened to me?"

"First things first, dear," Esme said as she walked over and took the bloody limb from Lauren. "Let's get you fixed up."

Carlisle and Esme helped Lauren fuse her arm back onto her shoulder with her own venom, talking quietly to Lauren as they worked. They explained what she now was and what options she had in choosing a new way of life. The rest of us spread out and covered the space that Esme and Carlisle vacated, still prepared for anything.

"But I'd have to eat animals?" she said curling her upper lip in distaste. "That doesn't even sound good."

"It's an acquired taste," I lied.

We were safely tucked away inside the tree line, but I had a clear view of the Newton's store front. Unexpectedly, Mike Newton casually walked out the automatic sliding doors into the dimly lit parking lot. I tensed and everyone else followed suit.

He immediately spotted Lauren amongst the trees and appeared before us in the blink of a human eye, keeping a cautious distance outside of our circle.

"Get away from me, you bastard. You tried to kill me," she yelled at Mike.

"I gave you a new life. On accident of course, but a better one none the less," he answered from the edge of the trees.

Emmett turned his angry gaze to Mike. "Where's Bella, you asshole?" he growled as he started to advance towards Lauren to get to Mike, who took a few steps towards the parking lot behind him.

Lauren shrank backwards thinking Emmett was coming for her. Her overwhelming fear and need to flee soaked into me in a rush.

"You can either trust them or you can trust me. But I'm not staying here to die and I recommend running," Mike warned and took off along the parking lot and into the woods on the opposite side. Lauren wasted no time in following behind her classmate, whom she thought was trustworthy.

"Damn it, Emmett. We could have caught Mike and made him lead us to Bella," Rosalie scolded before taking off in pursuit of the two newborn vampires. Within a few seconds, the five of us were trailing behind the escapees, weaving around trees and over fallen logs.

We pursued them until we reached the boundary line drawn by our treaty with the Quileutes. A shallow stream ran through the middle and gave a physical cue to where we were not supposed to travel. As we followed them for the last several hundred yards along the rocky terrain, it was clear that neither Lauren nor Mike knew about this boundary line. With an easy leap, they soared over the stream and landed with a light thud on the other side of the water. The five of us skidded to a halt, not willing to break the treaty and start a war with the wolves at this point in time. The air was thick with the scent of the wolves. Their loud heartbeats signaled that several were on the other side of this frothy stream.

Lauren and Mike looked at each other after noticing we didn't pursue them. "See, Lauren? I knew they'd be too slow to catch us," Mike taunted from across the water.

"I don't get it," Lauren said to Mike. "Why aren't they chasing us?" Lauren continued to look at the five of us across the creek. "And what is that awful smell?"

"I'm not sure," he replied. His eyes grew wide as he looked over Lauren's shoulder. "But it probably has something to do with those giant wolves heading right for us!"

Right on cue, three wolves launched themselves at the newborns. While Mike must have decided that he'd take his chances with us by jumping back over the water, Lauren screamed and tried to make a run for it on the Quileute's land. The wolves latched on to Lauren's head and legs, playing a quick game of tug of war until her body broke apart with a loud fracturing noise. I turned my head away, the cracking noise reminding me of my oppressive time under Maria.

Mike sped off into the forest with Emmett, Rosalie, and Carlisle in pursuit. Esme and I stayed behind to make sure that Lauren was taken care of before we followed the others towards our goal.

**EPOV**

The thumping of Bella's heart grew louder with each step I took up the mountain. Within minutes a cabin appeared on a flat and heavily wooded portion of the slope. Smoke poured out of a crumbling brick chimney, but I couldn't see any light spilling from within the structure.

I couldn't hear anyone inside, just the steady hum of Bella's breathing and the thumping of her heart as it pumped the life force through her veins. I ran straight to the door and shattered it into a thousand pieces with one swift kick. The cabin shook from the impact, but only Bella was occupying the space to feel the rattling boards.

Bella yelped from her prone position on the floor but smiled when she saw me standing in the doorway. "You found me!"

"You doubted I would?" I walked across the creaking wooden floorboards to the area of Bella's imprisonment. The chair she was anchored to broke easily with a simple twist of my hand. I quickly removed the pieces of splintered wood from the loops of rope, but paused when I saw how deeply the coarse rope had cut into her wrists and ankles.

"Bella, removing this is going to hurt."

"I don't care, just get them the hell off of me. I need to move."

I peeled back the first section of rope that was wrapped around her wrists, binding her hands together. Thick clumps of dried blood ripped away from her skin as I pulled the rope out of the valleys hollowed out by friction. She gasped as the rope was ripped free from her flesh.

Fresh streams of crimson oozed from her wounds, immediately surrounding me with the most intoxicating scent. I bit back the urge to latch onto her wrist and drink deeply. Venom pooled in my mouth, doing nothing to quench the intense burning that had fired up within.

She waited impatiently while I freed her shaking legs and helped her stand up. "Thank you," she said as she rubbed her hands together, trying to restore circulation. "I love you, Edward," she said before raising her mouth to mine. Our lips met hungrily, a manifestation of our desperation and relief all wrapped up in one intense meeting of our bodies.

Alice poked her head inside the now door less entry way. "Mike didn't hurt you, did he?" she asked before walking further into the room and forcing us to end our kiss.

"I'm fine, Alice. Just have a bit of rope burn," Bella understated as she raised her arms to show her the extent of damage.

"There's a bit too much blood in the air. Give her this, Edward," Alice said as she tossed a full bottle of water to me. "I'll just step outside and call Charlie to tell him we found Bella."

Bella practically chugged the entire bottle and threw the empty plastic to the floor. She tucked her head into my chest and I held her tightly against me. "I was so afraid that Mike had killed you," she said as her tears started to soak through my shirt.

"Whatever gift he has knocked me unconscious for about half an hour." I stroked her back gently, feeling her shiver under my touch. The coat I wore just for appearances was just what she needed. She accepted it readily and wrapped it around her tightly.

"What was it like, being asleep after all this time?"

I returned to her and took her hands in mine. "I actually dreamt while I was under," I said as my finger dipped into the blood slowly drying around her wrist.

"Was it a good dream?" she asked expectantly.

"It was a complete nightmare. And one I'd rather not repeat right now."

"Edward," Alice called from outside.

"Wait here and warm yourself by what's left of the fire," I directed to Bella and went outside to see what Alice wanted.

"We have a big problem heading our way."

I looked up at the cloudy night sky and clenched my fists. "What the hell is the problem now?"

"Something must have changed because Mike is running here with Emmett, Rosalie, and Carlisle in pursuit. There's no sign of Lauren. We've got about twenty minutes before they arrive."

"Good, I want to deal with that bastard myself," I seethed.

"No, it's not good. Both Bella and Charlie will be harmed if they don't leave this mountain."

"Then I'll go back inside with Bella and we'll leave with Charlie when he arrives." I wanted a chance to confront Mike myself.

"I'll meet Charlie and Jacob and bring them here, it will be easier than meeting them somewhere else. Be back in ten," Alice promised and disappeared with a cell phone held to her ear. I turned and returned to Bella, who was now standing in front of the fire with her hands outstretched towards the warmth.

As I approached, she turned around so that her back was to the fire. "It's nice to be able to turn around. I was sweating to death on one side only while I was tied up."

I pulled her close, the warmth of her skin and clothes from the fire soaked into me as we touched. "Mike will pay for this."

She put her finger to my lips. "I don't want to talk about Mike right now," she said as she cupped my cheek with her outstretched hand and scrutinized my face. "Your eyes are so black."

She'd noticed that I needed sustenance and I wasn't taking care of myself. I should be the last thing she was worried about right now. "It took a lot to run up almost an entire mountain to get you back." Not to mention the fact that the scent of her blood filled the air and that was enough to transform my eyes into a different hue.

"And you're here with me now," she whispered. She quietly said something else, but I found concentrating on her words increasingly difficult.

Blood slowly trickled down her upstretched arm and I could smell every drop that spilled into the coat. I licked my lips, remembering the taste of Bella's blood on my tongue. "Charlie will be here soon and we have to leave. The rest of my family is chasing Mike to this location as we speak."

She bit her lip before pulling the jacket up to her elbow, exposing her bleeding arm. "Are you strong enough to protect me and my father against anything?" she asked.

If I was completely honest with myself, I'd have told her that we would make it just fine. But the bloodlust took over my thoughts. "No," I lied.

"Then let me make you strong," she said and offered her raw wrist to me.

I stared at her offering, bright red and inviting with the liquid I craved so intensely. My resistance waned and I quickly brought her wounded wrist to my lips, pulling in the sweet nectar and feeling the strength fill every crevice in my body.

Bella grabbed onto my waist to steady her balance. The warmth of her body so close to mine, combined with the immediate effects that her blood had on my physique, urged me to push her wrist into my lips and other parts of my body to hers more tightly.

"Edward," she said breathlessly. "I'm starting to feel faint." She pushed at my chest as hard as she could, but her touch felt like a mere tickle to my stone chest. I continued to drink deeply and ignored her shoving against my chest.

"That's enough," she commanded, trying to pull her arm out of my grasp. Finally realizing that I could hurt her, my feeding induced haze cleared and I released her arm.

"I'm so sorry, my love. I forgot myself," I said as she yanked the wool sleeve back over her wrist. "I don't know what came over me. I'm strong enough to protect you and Charlie now. Thank you." I pulled her close to me once again, placing a light kiss on top of her head.

After a few seconds, the tension left Bella's body and she melted into my embrace. We remained in that position in the fire light, Bella's head tucked into my chest and her arms wrapped tightly around my waist while I stroked her back, until Alice returned with Charlie.

"Where's the dog?" I asked as they walked into the cabin.

"Jacob will be along soon. He said that he needed to check in with the other wolves." Charlie rushed over to Bella as he spoke to me and plucked her from my embrace. His fatherly love and concern overflowed, resulting in a tight hug between them. While Charlie spoke with Bella and checked her over to make sure she wasn't injured too badly, I took the opportunity to quickly speak to Alice.

"How much time do we have to get out of here?"

"I'm not sure since I can't see around the mutt," she replied. Alice stared daggers at my face while a look of pure anger blanketed her expression. "What the hell did you two do while I was fetching Charlie, Edward?" She continued in a quieter voice. "You're eyes are red."

_Oh shit_. _I had forgotten about that._ "Bella insisted, since I was running on empty after this entire ordeal."

"You know that I don't approve," she said quickly. "I should tell Carlisle all about this. And you certainly can't let the wolf see you with blood soaked eyes. You two will start a war."

"Please don't do that," I begged. "We've got it handled."

"I don't like keeping secrets from the others, especially when all of us have no secrets from you," she said as she jabbed a hard finger into my chest.

"I know, but do it for Bella. Please?" She reluctantly nodded her head in agreement, but the look of disapproval twisted her face.

"Bella, Charlie, we need to go now." I really hoped that Charlie didn't know what the change in hue of my eyes meant or the darkness of the forest would conceal the truth. He would definitely be against this entire situation. We had enough on our plate after Bella's abduction and Mike Newton's involvement.

We started our descent just as Jacob Black arrived in human form and fell in step beside Charlie, who held Bella protectively under his arm. "I see that Bella is safe," he said to her father.

"She needs some first aid for her injuries, but she'll be okay physically," Charlie responded.

"I can get her down the mountain quickly if you'll make sure Charlie gets down safely," I said, hiding my eyes from Jacob while we walked. "I'll have Carlisle meet us at the house and treat her wounds at home, rather than at the hospital."

"That's probably a good idea," Bella responded.

Charlie reluctantly released Bella from his arm, looking like he didn't want to let her go. "I'll go straight to your house. Take care of my daughter, Edward."

"I will protect her with everything I have." I pledged an oath that I was prepared to sacrifice my life to keep.

"It didn't work so well a few hours ago at our house," he said.

Alice stepped in. "Charlie, we didn't know what Mike was capable of. Edward can easily protect Bella from anyone."

I gently hoisted Bella onto my back and made sure she wasn't in pain as she wrapped herself around me before I sped down the mountain. We dodged trees with little effort, her warm body pressed against mine as we headed towards safety.

**Alice POV**

The silence was welcoming as I stood motionless in the dilapidated cabin where Bella had been tied up and held against her will. I easily saw the others arriving here in my mind. My visions became clearer the further down the mountain the wolf went with Charlie. Two other figures popped into my vision and they were not a welcome sight. Victoria and Laurent were most definitely responsible for Mike's behavior.

Mike ran into the cabin at full speed, wild eyed and disheveled with mud splattered up and down his jeans. He quickly scanned the tiny room before his eyes settled on me.

"What a naughty boy you've been, Michael," I scolded. "Did you really think that you could take what belongs to us and there would not be a price to pay?"

Panicking, he ducked outside the cabin, which was now surrounded by members of my family. I took my place in the circle formed around Mike by Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie, Esme, and Carlisle.

Mike turned in circles, looking for a way to break through our boundary.

"Don't let him touch you," I instructed my family.

"Such an interesting power that you have, Michael," Carlisle said.

"What are you talking about, what power?" he answered and continued to look for an opportunity to escape.

"What you did to Edward," I replied. "Vampires can't sleep, but you certainly put him out like a light."

"I don't know how I did that," Mike said. "He tried to kill me, so I defended myself."

"Why are you bothering to question him?" Rosalie asked.

"Yeah," Emmett added. "Let's make with the killing instead."

Esme spoke next. "The Volturi certainly can't find out about his power. They would use it to their advantage."

"The Volturi shouldn't know about what?" Laurent asked as he and Victoria appeared from behind the cabin.

Carlisle recovered first. "I'm sure that the Volturi would love to know that you've created a newborn that is drawing a lot of attention to himself."

Victoria continued to walk towards our circle. "What do you want with my Michael? And why do I smell humans? Have you not been sharing?"

"He decided that kidnapping Edward's mate was a good idea and kept her imprisoned in this shack." Jasper added a warning. "This isn't taken lightly by our coven."

"Is this true, Michael?" Victoria asked him coldly.

He remained expressionless and silent in the middle of our circle, avoiding eye contact with anyone.

Carlisle reinforced our position, just as he had when we ran across these nomads in the past. "This is our territory and your actions are drawing unwanted attention by the authorities. You need to leave this area."

"But it's so nice here," Laurent said. "We've grown to love all this part of the world has to offer."

"We'll take care of Michael," Victoria said with a sneer. "He is mine so release him to me, or suffer the consequences."

"If there is one more death or even one more scratch on Bella, you all will pay." Emmett threatened.

"He'll be dealt with, I assure you," Laurent said.

Esme and Rosalie didn't move as Mike brushed between them to join Victoria and Laurent.

"Wipe that smile off of your face, boy," Laurent directed.

"You are in so much trouble," Victoria added.

The six of us left the non-vegetarians behind on the cold peak to deal with Mike. Closing my eyes, I saw that he would be punished and the Volturi would not find out about his power, for now. Being stuck with Victoria would be a far harsher sentence than death.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting, life got in the way. Like reading several books that I needed to review. And the holidays. And a little thing called NaNoWriMo where I only had eyes for dirt bike riding guys and zombies. Thanks as usual to my prereader Erikasbuddy and my beta OnePushyFox.**

**Chapter 13 **

**EPOV**

The heels of her shoes tried to find purchase on my thighs as Bella held herself tight to my body. I ran faster than I had ever dared before with my beloved clamped to my back. With each long stride I took, I carried us further away from the louse that had the nerve to snatch her from me. I felt her body relax, finally surrendering to cope with the immense speed with which the lush forest flew by us towards home and away from that run-down cabin.

It took all of my restraint to carry my now unconscious girlfriend home and not hunt the bastard down and finish him forever. I was going to deal with Mike Newton once I was sure that Bella was in safe, capable hands. Her protection and well-being were first and foremost in my eyes. Knowing that safety was in numbers right at this moment, the overwhelming need for revenge would have to come second for now.

With silent footfalls over the hardwood floors, I carried Bella through our multi-story house and gently settled her on my bed. Her breathing was shallow and her skin was cool to the touch, but her face was serene and peaceful against the light colored pillow. And that's when the shaking started. She turned on her side and brought her knees up to her chest, holding her legs tightly to her body. With her eyes firmly held shut, her entire body lightly trembled. I began to suspect shock had finally set in.

"Bella," I said softly by her ear. She responded by shaking with more force, but not gaining consciousness. Did I dare wake her, when her body obviously thought sleep was the best choice right now? Or was this a medical emergency? But she shivered so severely, even her teeth chattered behind those luscious berry colored lips.

And that's when it hit me. She had been held in a dark cabin, a fire no bigger than kindling smoldered in the hearth when I found her. Now she was probably falling ill, especially after I sped her sweat soaked body through thirty degree air down the mountain.

I just got her back after the most horrible hours of my life. It wasn't only the terror of Bella's abduction, but the nightmare I had while I was unconscious from Mike's wretched ability that he used to defend himself. Just one more tug and I would have ripped his head completely off his shoulders. But instead I was left for dead with only Charlie to protect me while the mad man made off with what was mine.

"Bella," I said again, this time a bit louder. Still no response from my reason for being. As I watched her lying prone on the bed, her tiny frame practically swimming in my too large coat, I decided she needed warmer clothes. It was best that I undress her, maybe get her into a warm bath.

She remained unconscious as I gently removed the coat. The satin lining stuck to her fresh wounds from where the restraints dug into her wrists, but the sleeves came off with merely a gentle tug. Then I quickly relieved her of the dusty shoes and damp shirt and slacks she was wearing. She was so beautiful resting on my bed, her pale skin bathed in moonlight. I found myself lightly caressing the curve of her body, from the swell of her breast down to her creamy thigh, pausing at the elastic waistband of her red underclothes. As I pushed my fingers under the silky material, debating whether I should remove them or not, I hesitated when second thoughts flooded my mind. It wasn't like I hadn't seen Bella's naked skin before, but this felt like an invasion. But on the other hand, she had always invited me to touch, kiss, and tickle before.

I ran my hand through my hair, muttering to myself. _You're losing it. Get a grip on yourself._ I draped her pale form with a fleece blanket, hoping this would warm her while I ran the bath. Her porcelain features stood out against her chocolate colored hair, fanning out across the pillow in the moonlight from the windows. My eyes instantly went to her neck, the thumping of her heart loud in my ears while I watched the skin pulse lightly in time with the pumping of her blood.

I shook my head back and forth, snapping myself out of the stupor brought on by her delicious blood running through those perfect veins. I willed my body to turn away from the enticing sight before me, heading for the bathroom to let the water get as hot as possible before I placed her in the tub.

Satisfied that the temperature of the water-filled bathtub was appropriate, I returned to the bed for Bella. She had rolled onto her back while I was preparing the bath, one bare arm slung on top of the blanket. My focus instantly shifted to her injured wrist. Dark red stains riddled her thin skin. Before I knew it, I held her injured arm in my ice cold grasp. Fresh blood flowed from a few areas of the abrasion, surely the result of her wounds reopening when I removed her clothing.

The burn in my throat roared to life, like throwing gasoline on a fire. The thirst was so painful, so overwhelming. My body reacted before my mind had time to realize it wasn't being consulted first. I lowered my open lips to her bleeding skin, sucking greedily while she slept on my bed.

"Edward," she said, finally awakening. "What are you doing?"

I had been caught doing something I should have asked permission to do first, but the urge to drink made my body act immediately. My mind raced to find an acceptable excuse for my violation of her body and her trust. Before I could speak, the lower half of me answered, all rational thought about our boundaries and what she had just been through was overruled by pure lust and the need to mark her.

I let her arm fall to the bed with a careless thud while I ripped the blanket away from her body, covering her with my own a second later.

"Edward, I…" fell from her mouth before I covered it with mine, effectively silencing her thoughts. Her hand twisted in the hair at the back of my head as she returned my hungry kiss. Any propriety I had flew out the window. I only knew that my Bella was with me now and I must make her mine.

The rush of her blood, now pumping more furiously through her veins as her heart beat wildly behind those beautiful breasts, sang to me and urged me forward. Bella sucked in a large breath as I trailed kisses down her neck and across her chest. Her hands clawed at my back as I pushed aside the thin crimson fabric of her bra, revealing a perfect pink peak just begging for attention.

"I didn't think I'd see you again," she breathed, her hands now moving to pull my shirt up my back.

My head swam as my lips surrounded her nipple, my tongue slowly circling the area before sucking it into my mouth. She gasped in response, writhing under my touch as she still struggled to remove my shirt. Her soft skin came dangerously close to my venom-soaked teeth, but I forged onward instead of tensing and remaining motionless like I would normally do.

Even with our recklessness, I wasn't willing to break away from her body just yet. My self-control was seriously impaired at the moment. She continued to fumble with my shirt and impatience overcame me. In one quick motion I ripped the shirt from my body, leaving Bella with the scraps of fabric still clutched in her hands. She tossed the shreds aside before running her fingers lightly over my chest.

"Beautiful," she whispered and continued to explore my body.

A buzzing noise vibrated on the bed next to us. We both ignored my ringing cell phone. When it continued to buzz incessantly, I swept it aside forcefully, where it fell to the floor and skidded to a stop under a bookcase.

I returned my lips to hers in a furious kiss. Everything we needed to discuss about her kidnapping, every emotion, flowed between us as our lips danced together. Suddenly, Bella reached down and palmed my erection through the fabric of my pants. She broke the kiss, smiling wickedly as she rubbed her palm along my entire length. The friction was more intense than anything I've ever felt before. It was almost better than Bella's blood. Almost.

And that was when the tiny shred of self-control I had left disappeared. In less than a second, the tattered remains of her undergarments joined the rest of my clothes on the floor. She moaned in anticipation as I ran a finger over her hot core. Wasting no time, she grabbed hold of my now bare flesh and began to stroke as I held my position over the top of her. We were acting on pure instinct now, and it felt very good to let ourselves go.

A high pitched ringing sounded from my coat on the floor. As a distraction, I grabbed her free hand and licked the remaining blood from her wrist. The phone continued to squeal, mocking me from the floor with its happy ringtone.

"Edward, maybe we should get that. It could be important." Bella rasped through quick, shallow breaths. But her actions spoke much more loudly than her words, because she didn't stop the rhythmic movement of her hand.

"If it's important, I'll hear it _in here_." I snapped as I tapped my temple. She was driving me crazy with the lazy up and down motion of her hand. My body cried out for something faster, harder, different. I needed more of everything, more blood, more motion.

The juicy artery pulsed in her neck, continuing to beckon me. Leaning down closer than I should have dared, my mouth hovered over the beating pulse and I licked my lips. I swear that Bella moved her neck closer, another unspoken invitation from my reckless beloved. The monster within me screamed to just bite already, but I fought for control. Biting her would be the end of my life and hers.

Snapping out of the bloodlust fueled trance I was in, I returned my attention to the pink peak before me. Bella's labored breathing became a secondary worry as I worshiped at her alter. Her stroking of my member slowed and completely stopped, but she immediately positioned me at her entrance. Her hands pressed down on my hips as if she could actually move me even a fraction of an inch, urging my body forward and putting an end to this torturous interlude.

My phone vibrated from its position under the shelving at the same time Bella's cell phone's ring filled the room. I pressed forward infinitesimally as Bella held her breath, waiting for me to push my way inside. She raised her hips instinctually and all I needed to do was ease forward. But I hesitated. After all, there was no going back after this one simple act. And while my urge for her blood was waning at the moment, my control over my physical strength was getting thinner by the second.

_Edward, no!_ Alice's voice screamed inside my head. I winced with the shrillness of her voice, but didn't alter my position.

I lifted my face and gazed into Bella's eyes, half open in anticipation as she lightly chewed her lip. I pressed forward an inch, choosing to ignore Alice's frantic voice in my head.

With a sharp intake of breath, Bella tensed underneath me as I pushed forward a little bit more.

But I couldn't go any further. As I hit the barrier inside of Bella, visions of the future invaded my thoughts. Alice must have been near and she was watching this entire encounter.

The visions flew by at the speed of light, each one different from the other to form an extremely uncertain future for all of us. Bella limp on the bed as I drank deeply from her neck in one scene. In another scenario, Bella smiled lovingly up at me, her hands caressing her abdomen, swollen and round with pregnancy. And finally, a little boy who had my wild hair and Bella's deep chocolate eyes and smile, dancing triumphantly around a pile of dead humans. My entire family, including Bella, the toddler, and Charlie, dead in our house while the Volturi stand over us in victory.

After a few seconds of being bombarded with the stream of Alice's visions, I pulled away from Bella.

"We can't do this, Bella. I'm sorry," I said as I moved to lie beside her on the bed.

A single tear slid down her cheek, wetting the pillow beneath her head. "Okay," she said quietly before she turned on her side and returned to the fetal position I had found her in while she slept.

"The others will be here in a few minutes," I said as I quickly grabbed clothing for both of us from the closet. I knelt down beside the bed on the hardwood floor, taking Bella's head in my hands. "I don't want our first time to be hurried because of relief at having you back in my arms."

But the bloodlust was the real propellant towards both of us not being virgins anymore. I wasn't about to confess that fact to Bella just now. She was in too fragile of a state and I wasn't about to burden her further. Plus Alice's visions were pretty disturbing and I felt like our privacy had been invaded. She might as well have been watching our intimate reunion through my bedroom window. We needed time to figure out what the possible strings of the future meant, what was the right course.

_I'm coming up there when we get back, Edward. And Charlie will be right behind me. ETA five minutes. _Alice projected into my mind.

Bella continued to quietly cry, remaining motionless and curled up on the bed.

"Get dressed quickly, my love," I said while handing her new clothing that wasn't ruined by me. "Your father will be here in under five minutes."

"My dad?" she said quietly. Bella bolted upright, her eyes wild with surprise and recognition. "Oh, shit. My dad!"

As she fumbled with just her shirt, I proceeded to get completely dressed in the same amount of time. She pulled on the jeans I handed her and I helped her into some shoes while she buttoned everything up.

I smiled up at her from my position on the floor after tying her last shoelace. "We're good to go?" I asked her as she flushed red. When she stood up, I straightened the bedding. No evidence of what had almost happened was visible in the room since Bella had shoved the scraps of our clothes under the bed.

"We're home, Edward," Alice called from downstairs. _Charlie is with me,_ she added mentally.

But panic crossed Bella's face. "Edward, no one can see you like this."

I looked down at myself, assessing what was astray with my clothing. After smoothing down the shirt I wore and running a hand through my hair to tame it, I returned my gaze to Bella and shrugged. "Nothing's amiss."

"Except for your freaky red eyes, remember?" she said forcefully. Now it was my time to curse.

A light rapping at the door signaled Alice and Charlie's arrival in the hallway. Bella glanced back and forth between the door and me. "Hide in the bathroom. Now." She tried to push me towards the bathroom, but I was already headed that way.

I heard Bella open the door to greet my sister and her father. The sounds of a father embracing his only offspring, complete with stifled sobs filled my ears as I sat on the edge of the bathtub out of sight.

"Where's Edward?" Alice asked, even though she sensed where I was right away.

"Bathroom," Bella replied curtly as her father spoke quietly about his relief that she was alive, well, and now safe.

The door creaked open, Alice poking her head around the jamb before she entered. "How's it going in here, hot stuff," she said in a low voice too low for Bella or Charlie to hear.

"Just great," I said keeping my gaze on the floor. "Thanks for the visions, by the way. They are definitely a powerful dose of reality."

"Those scared the shit out of me too." Alice closed the door behind her and sat on the edge of the vanity. "I had to let you know the possible consequences."

I met her eyes before slamming my lids shut and keeping them closed. "I know, but now I'm sure Bella thinks I've rejected her all over again."

"I'm sure that she doesn't think that at all. If you'd like, I can talk to her later," she offered.

I turned my gaze to the door and didn't reply.

"This thing you have with her," Alice said as she flung her hand to the side. "I don't think it's good for either of you."

"I know," I answered meekly. I stood up and stretched my arms. "I have to get out of here and hunt before anyone else sees me."

The voices of Bella and Charlie had been in hushed tones, but now my bedroom was vacant and silent. Their heartbeats pounded in a different part of the house where Carlisle now asked Bella questions in his soothing doctor voice. I slipped down the stairs and out the back door, escaping to the normalcy and status quo of feasting on the blood of animals.

I really hoped that I ran into Mike on my hunt. The first thing I planned on ripping from his body was each of his hands.

**Mike POV**

"What is it about that mousy little bitch that has all of the men so intrigued?" Victoria slowly circled me, like the great white circled the Orca in _Jaws_. Great movie. Something tells me that Dread Head wouldn't be a big fan. From his bored look as he leaned against the trunk of an evergreen, Laurent was just here for the show and it wasn't very interesting.

I stood perfectly still, my feet firmly planted on the frozen ground in front of my grandfather's old hunting cabin. It was a bit rickety, especially now with a gaping hole where the door used to be. Maybe kidnapping Bella hadn't been the best idea. I seemed to have skyrocketed right to the top of Victoria's shit list

"Just one errant wind gust had my only mate, James, running all over the country just to taste her." She stopped in front of me and I lowered my gaze to her feet.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, Michael." I slowly gazed up with my eyes, but not my entire head. I guessed that wasn't the answer she was looking for. With a simple flick of her wrist, my skull snapped back so I totally faced her. My teeth rattled from the blow to my chin and I couldn't hide my wince of pain. Which obviously delighted her judging by the large evil grin painted on her face right now.

"So, I'm asking you again, Michael. Why did you pick that rat of a human over me?" She stared me down, waiting for my answer with one eyebrow cocked. I'm pretty sure that however I answered her question, it was going to be totally fucking wrong. "You were supposed to bring me dinner."

I swallowed the venom that pooled in my mouth out of nervousness and uncertainty. "She smelled good," I answered with as little emotion in my words as possible.

"And you had to steal her away?" Victoria roared as she started to pace in a circle around me again. "Just for a quick meal?" The tone of her voice gave away the fact that she didn't believe me.

"She was always with some of the Cullens or some freakishly huge Indian dude," I added. "And since I know there are other vampires in Forks, I had to get her away from them." Now that I was a vampire, I saw why Bella was so into Edward Cullen. How could she help it? Lauren Mallory was all over me when I snuck into her room. She was all too eager to follow me anywhere, like I had some kind of magic spell over women. I was a super-strong, uber-hot, unkillable superman now. Who wouldn't want to have a piece of this? Except now I'd probably eat you rather than save you from danger like normal superheroes did.

Laurent finally piped up from his important job of holding the tree upright. "Stay away from the Cullens. They're broken and wrong, very weak. They bring shame to our kind by drinking from animals."

"But they said that they would help me," I began. In a blur of motion, Victoria was instantly in front of me. In another blink of an eye, she squeezed my neck and the hard ground was no longer under my feet.

As I struggled to get free of her iron grasp, she clamped down even tighter, her fingers digging into my neck. "You are mine and I will kill you in an instant if you go to them. They have already taken my James."

I gasped for breath, a reaction left over from my time as a mere human. But I didn't try to pry her hand away from my throat. I was afraid of shooting the "Go to sleep" beams out from palms and revealing my secret weapon. Plus, I had no idea how I made my hands do that in the first place. Some trick.

"Understand?" she growled and dropped me to the ground. I landed in a heavy heap at her feet, dust flying around us.

"Yes," I said, coughing as I felt my neck for cracks. This was the second time in as many days that I was almost decapitated. That had been too close to lights out for me.

"Come now," Victoria said and motioned for both Laurent and I to follow her down the mountain. "I'm hungry. Let's go into town since you two are worthless. Now I have to fetch my own dinner."

As Laurent and I followed behind her, long jacket and bright red hair blowing in the wind, I heard Laurent comment to himself. "This is going to be fun, just like old times."

I was unwillingly along for the ride, but I wanted to live another decade or so. I might as well find a tasty little morsel for myself.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Welcome to my new readers. Prereader, Erikasbuddy, and beta, OnePushyFox, did a fantastic job as usual. Since I usually forget, Stephenie Meyer owns everything except the way I've twisted her universe to my liking. **

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Chapter 14

**Emmett POV**

I watched Edward speed out the back door and it slammed shut behind him with a splintering crunch. Esme wasn't going to like that. He was just a big blur even to my acute vampire vision. Why he was in such a hurry to get out of Dodge, I didn't know. But I'm sure that he had his reasons. I was itching for a piece of the action myself, but I was supposed to stick with Charlie and Bella for the time being. I have a feeling my guard duty was going to be super boring.

Knocking lightly on the heavy door to Carlisle's study, I waited for permission to enter. Catching a glimpse of Bella undressed while she was being examined would be like seeing your own sister naked. And some images you don't want scorched into your brain for all of eternity.

"Come in," Carlisle responded quietly.

Charlie and Bella immediately turned to see who was imposing on their privacy, even though it was already invaded by Carlisle. But she needed to be checked over to make sure there weren't any lasting physical injuries from her abduction by new vampire Mike Newton. A trip to the local hospital was out of the question, especially with Bella being the only human involved in this whole mess.

"Hey, Bella," I said evenly and gave her a small sympathetic smile. I stood just inside the door, still feeling like I was intruding on a very private moment. The environment of this now multi-purpose room was heavy and serious. I could feel it pressing down on me while I waited for some kind of gesture.

She nodded from her perch on the edge of the large wooden desk, her expression somber while her legs dangled limply over the side. White strips of sterile gauze were wrapped around both of her wrists, with similar bandages on her exposed ankles. Every molecule of air was filled with an antiseptic odor. I was relieved that the stench of her blood couldn't be identified in the stale air of the room.

Charlie stood a few feet away from the desk, not wanting to leave her side, but not wanting to crowd her at the same time. His expression went way beyond serious. I'd say it was closer to homicidal than anything by the way he had one hand resting on the butt of his service revolver.

"Everything checks out. Physically you're just fine, except for the abrasions." Carlisle moved to remove the blood pressure cuff that was wrapped around her arm. She flinched as his hands approached her body, keeping her eyes closed tightly the entire time he unwound the cuff and slipped it down her arm.

"Can I have a word with you out in the hall, Doc?" Charlie asked my father.

"Sure," he said before placing the blood pressure monitoring equipment into a black leather bag. He turned to follow Charlie out of the room.

"Emmett, please keep an eye on her for me," Carlisle said in a voice so low that the humans in the room didn't hear a word. So I sat on my chair impassively performing my guard duty, but soaking in as much information about everything going on around me as I could. You can be sure I only looked dumb because of my size. But that certainly wasn't the case and I used it to my advantage many times over the years.

I'm not sure what happened to Bella in that rickety cabin, but she seemed a sliver of her former self. Her brown eyes usually sparkled, but were now dull and lifeless. She slumped off of the dark wooden desktop and walked a few feet before plopping herself on the chair closest to the desk. She kept her head down the entire time.

I kept a careful watch on her without staring too intently while I listened to Carlisle and Charlie's conversation out in the hallway. It's hard to not eavesdrop when you're a vampire since every smell and sound assaults your senses.

But I didn't need to have heightened senses to see that Charlie was very concerned for his daughter's mental well-being. And he quite rightly wanted to know what they should do next.

Shoot, I could have answered that one for him. We needed to make her feel loved and protected while simultaneously giving her all the space and time she needed to cope with this ordeal. You didn't need to be Dr. Phil to know that. How do you think I've gotten along with Rosie all of these years?

_I can give her a sedative so she'll get the rest she needs tonight, _Carlisle offered. _Sometimes sleep is the best remedy._

_For a human, _I thought to myself. Although, Mike somehow had the power to make vampires sleep. Since Edward hadn't had the time to share his experience, I was left wondering what it was like to be unconscious after all of these years. There were moments where I yearned for the peace that a good night's sleep brought. Or to get away from Rosie when she was on one of her rampages.

I turned my attention to the door as Carlisle soundlessly entered, immediately followed by the shuffle of Charlie's muffled steps on the carpet. The worried expression on her father's face hadn't budged since she was first being looked over by Carlisle.

When she didn't react to their presence in the room, Charlie knelt down next to the chair she rested in. "Bells," he said and placed his hand on her knee. "Carlisle is going to give you something to help you rest."

He worriedly looked her over and paused, waiting for her response. Finally, she nodded and mouthed her silent agreement.

"Emmett," Carlisle said while he pulled clear liquid into a syringe from a stoppered bottle. "Could you help Bella up to bed?"

"Sure thing," I replied and stood up, just to be ready. Hey, I had no idea how much help a human needed after the medicine took effect. Things have changed drastically on the pharmaceutical front since I last needed anything to help me out.

"Which bedroom are you going to put her in?" Charlie asked.

This question finally prompted Bella to react. "Dad," she said in an emotionless monotone voice. "Edward's."

Doubt filled Charlie's face as he mulled over her response.

Sensing that he needed some prodding, I added my two cents. "Don't worry, Chief Swan. Edward isn't even here right now. She'll get plenty of rest. Esme will take care of her like Bella was her own daughter."

Charlie just snorted his reply and placed his hands on his hips defiantly. His police radio screeched to life from his pocket, startling both Bella and Charlie.

_Chief Swan, we have a disturbance at the bowling alley. _The dispatcher's voice clipped from the speaker attached to his uniform shirt with a plastic clip.

"Ten-four, I'll be right there," Charlie responded into the radio before he clipped it onto his pocket and turned his attention back to Bella.

Before anyone else could protest or interrupt, Carlisle wrapped the light brown tourniquet tightly around her bicep. Once the thin silver needle pierced her fragile skin, Bella winced and bit her lip. A few seconds after the clear liquid was slowly pushed into her veins, the tense expression on her face disappeared.

Pulling out the needle and removing the tourniquet in one smooth, quick motion, it only took a minute before Bella's body fully relaxed into the contours of the chair.

As I gently lifted her into my arms, Charlie dug his car keys out of his pocket.

"Dad," Bella said lethargically. "Don't leave without Emmett."

"He can meet me at the bowling alley. It's probably just a drunken fight at the Sunday Night leagues." He kissed Bella's forehead and walked out the door.

"Get her comfortable upstairs," Carlisle said. "Then you can catch up with Charlie."

"Okay," I answered as I turned sideways to carry Bella through the door without banging her head on the wooden frame.

"Emmett?" Bella said, her head lolling to the side slightly, like she didn't have total control of her movements.

"Yeah?" I started to climb the stairs at a normal human pace, not wanting to injure her further.

"Where's Edward?"

"I don't know. He went out the back door a while ago."

"I think he ran away because he's afraid to be with me," she said in a soft, low voice.

This declaration made me quirk an eyebrow, surprised that she was confiding something so personal to me. "What do you mean?"

"Alice is the world's biggest cock block." She snuggled her head into my chest, giggling to herself.

"Um, yeah. I don't know how to respond to that," I admitted. I decided to chalk her strange queries to the sedative coursing through her veins and polluting her mind. I continued our ascent to the upper level of the house.

"If you were Edward," she began, her voice muffled slightly by my shirt. "Would you be with me?"

I snorted, but when she looked up at me with sober, sad eyes, I composed myself and answered her with all of the seriousness this topic deserved. "That whole not doing it thing would have only lasted a few days if I were Edward."

"Oh," she said. "Even if I might be injured?"

I pushed open the door to Edward's bedroom with my foot and walked slowly forward, careful to turn Bella just right so she wasn't jostled too much as I placed her on the edge of the bed.

"Some things are just worth trying," I answered as I pulled the blanket aside so she could slip her legs under the covers. "And if I knew you were the one for me, I'd make sure you could be by my side forever."

"That's what I think too," she slurred, her eyes already closing as she leaned back into the pillow.

Just as I pulled the comforter up to her waist, Bella tried to sit up, a pout on her lips as she exhaled forcefully and leaned back on her elbows. "Emmett, fluff my pillow," she whimpered.

"Sure thing, but I'm not so sure you should ever drink or do drugs. You're too needy," I said jokingly while I crammed the feathers into the middle of the pillow. And I wasn't gentle about it either.

As I pushed the misshapen form back into place under her head, a scrap of red, lacy material caught my eye on the mattress. "Little missy, what's this?" I teased as I dangled what looked like half of a bra a couple of feet in front of her face.

Bella lazily opened one eye and slowly turned beet red. "You dust with that." She slammed her eyelid shut and rolled over so I couldn't see her embarassed face anymore.

"I believe someone's getting a bit more action than they think they are," I said before closing the door, leaving her to rest while I laughed to myself. "Dust rag, my ass."

**EPOV**

I felt a bit remorseful for leaving Bella with my family after everything that happened, but I didn't have much choice. I simply could not be there with a proverbial red flag evidenced in my eyes, seeing the concern in their faces. There was no way anyone would understand the current nature of my relationship with my beloved.

So I left her in the loving and capable hands of her father and Carlisle. They would make sure that she was safe and sound for the time being. And I could hear from Esme's thoughts that she wanted to smother her with a mother's love until Bella was better.

My phone vibrated in my pocket and I debated whether or not I should answer the call. One look at the cracked screen and I knew that I had to get a new phone. I was surprised it functioned after I had batted it off the bed in the heat of the moment. "What do you want, Alice?" I growled into the phone.

"Don't be gruff with me. And I know that you're planning on taking Mike out by yourself."

"So?" It wasn't eloquent, but it really summed up my opinion on the matter. I wasn't content to wait around to react. I was sick of be reactive and had decided to be proactive for a change.

"It's a bad idea. He's not alone and you don't know who made him a vampire yet."

I walked calmly towards town while I continued to speak into the cracked headset. "And you do?"

"After you left the mountain with Bella, Mike arrived with everyone else right behind him. It didn't take long for Victoria and Laurent to show up and claim Mike as their progeny."

"They're still in the area?" I couldn't believe what my sister was relating to me. Killing her mate wasn't enough to scare them away? "What were they thinking, turning a human?"

I heard the scuffing of furniture on a hard surface through the phone. "We're having a family meeting to figure this all out. Maybe you should come back since Emmett had to leave with Charlie?"

I pointedly ignored her suggestion. "How's Bella?"

"Carlisle gave her something to help her sleep. She won't wake up for several hours."

Muffled voices came through the line while everyone gathered together. "And where did Charlie go?"

"There's some kind of altercation at the bowling alley, so he went to break it up. I don't see any problems."

I hit end and pocketed the phone. If I was going home, I definitely needed to hunt before I showed up with red eyes that broadcasted my indiscretions. Otherwise, I might as well stay away.

**Emmett POV**

The red and blue lights of the squad car pulsed into the woods and the din of many people talking at once filled the air. I slowed to a normal human pace as I stepped out of the tree line to cross the highway. While I waited in the darkness for traffic to clear, I could just make out the siren of an ambulance approaching in the distance from the east.

As I moved towards one of the few sources of recreation for the human inhabitants of this fine town of Forks, the tang of fresh human blood permeated the air around the long brick building. I was immediately drawn to the tempting aroma like a moth to a flame. Rounding the corner into the asphalt parking lot, I arrived just in time to see Charlie kneeling on some guy's back, slapping a pair of handcuffs on his wrists while he read him his rights. I so wanted to do that part of the job. Or maybe be the one holding him down with my knee. Maybe I should be a cop for real?

Once the man was hauled off of the ground and unceremoniously dumped onto his feet, the source of the blood soaking the air called to me like a neon sign advertising "All You Can Eat" at a buffet. With a large trail of crimson cascading from his nose to his faded grey t-shirt with three howling wolves silk screened onto the front, it was obvious that he had definitely seen better days and just plain ran out of luck. And judging from the mullet he sported along with his well-worn grey sweatpants and hi-top sneakers, this dude's better days must have been the eighties. Some people just couldn't let go.

A small crowd of about twenty people had gathered outside of the double glass doors of the bowling alley's entrance, all holding their drinks of choice while they watched two grown men beat each other to a bloody pulp across the pot hole scarred parking lot. Now that Charlie had subdued one of the brutes, everyone that was watching the beat down quickly lost interest.

The crowd quickly dispersed, revealing another broken and bloodied man knocked out cold on the hard ground. An ambulance was definitely needed, gauging from the unnatural angle his right arm was bent against the pavement. Bright purple bruises were blossoming across both of his eyes too.

"She started it," the handcuffed man screamed through the open door of the cruiser as Charlie pushed him inside. "It was that bitch red head's fault! Go arrest her for being a tease."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Charlie chided and slammed the car door in the guy's face just as I appeared at his side.

"Oh, great. You're here," Charlie grumbled when he noticed me. "This was just some regular folks having a disagreement in my town. No need for your kind of help."

But I knew better based on the lingering scent of other vampires on the wind. And I'm sure this stink meant trouble, since I recognized each scent from our earlier encounter on the mountain.

"But I promised Bella I would stick around. You know, just in case."

Charlie defiantly placed his hands on his hips, an unhappy smirk occupying his face. "I've got this covered, go make yourself useful elsewhere."

I turned and walked towards the double glass doors, figuring I'd at least get a look at how the locals spend their weekend nights. Loud cracking noises assaulted me as soon as I opened the door. The sound of the bowling balls hitting the pins reminded me too much of vampire body parts being torn from their owner. After pausing a second, I straightened myself to my full height and marched inside like I owned the place.

A few men briefly looked up from their drinks at the bar before returning their eyes to the game showing on the flat screens high on the wood paneled walls. Victoria's scent overwhelmed me as I approached the back of the bar area.

Her fiery hair shown like an ignited flame in a darkened booth, secluded in a corner behind the vacant pool table. She flirted shamelessly with a twenty-something year old guy wearing a Yankees hat backwards. As I watched her pawing at his arm, sweet talking the poor sap, I decided to interrupt.

"Hey, You. Yankees douchebag," I called while I approached the table. "Get your hands off of my girl."

"Fuck you, buddy." He turned to face me, his aggressive expression falling as he took in my gigantic frame. He sunk back into the red vinyl seat, using Victoria as a shield between us.

She threw a wilting glance my way before defiantly clamping down on the guy's leg. "Beat it, Emmett." She had him cornered to the inside of the booth and there was no way for him to escape.

The helpless dude tried to pry her fingers from his leg, but gave up quickly. "I didn't know she was taken, guy" he stammered.

"I think we need to talk outside, _Vicky_." We stared at each other silently for a minute, neither one of us willing going to budge.

The first one to move was the Yankees guy, who slowly slid out of her icy grasp and underneath the table. While Victoria and I continued our stare down, he crawled out from underneath the tabletop and quickly scurried away. I bet he didn't even know that I just saved his life.

"Why don't you make this easy and just step outside for a second? No need to cause a scene in here." When she didn't move, I reached down to grab her arm and she batted it away before I could get a firm hold. Luckily, the loud clanking noise resulting from our contact fit right in with the environment.

I hid my smile behind my hand when I heard someone at the bar loudly exclaim, "Now that sounded like a strike!"

Victoria, however, snickered at the comment. But she quickly righted her expression to one of serious business. "What do you want?" she spat.

Does this chick seriously have no common sense? I guess I had to be direct, just to cover my bases and my ass if she wasn't playing a game. I squeezed myself down into the vinyl seat across from her. "We want you, Mike, and Laurent to leave Forks." I bit my tongue to keep the _duh_ from escaping my mouth as I stared hard into her eyes.

"And why would we do that? Forks is _so_ nice this time of year. Michael and I are thinking of settling down here permanently. It is his hometown, you know." A demonic, forced smile spread across face with her lips curling at the edges, showing a bit too much tooth to look in the least bit sane.

"You know that isn't a good idea," I said, continuing our staring contest. Vampires don't have to blink so we could stay like this forever. There was no way I was going to let her win, but I didn't want to attract any more attention either. "Especially considering that your so called boyfriend has eyes for my sister."

Victoria quirked an auburn eyebrow before breaking eye contact. She glanced around the bar room as if she was looking for someone. Or the nearest exit.

"I wonder where your little boyfriend is right now. You'd think he would want to spend all of his time by your side." I knew that I shouldn't provoke her since she looked pretty flighty, but I couldn't help myself. I liked poking the sleeping bear.

"He's taking care of something for me right now." She began to drum her fingers on the scared wooden table top. "Anything else? I'd like to get back to the menu, if you don't mind."

"Don't do your dirty business in our territory, or else you'll have to answer to us."

"Oh, really?" She sighed heavily and looked completely bored.

"I'm sure you remember what we did to your mate. Or do you need a reminder?" I waited for her response but her lips remained tightly closed. "Or maybe the Volturi would like to know about your reckless and brazen feeding?" I stood up so I could leave on a strong note. I needed to get back to Charlie, who was hopefully waiting outside for me.

"There's no need to be that extreme," she said through clenched teeth before plastering on another fake smile. "I'm sure the Volturi would love to know that you have a human pet that knows all about our kind."

I growled down at her, clenching my fists to keep from tearing her apart in front of all the locals. "I wouldn't go there if I were you. Now get the hell out of town." I turned my back on the ruthless bitch and left in search of Bella's father.

**EPOV**

Sensing whispers of thoughts from a familiar person's voice, I purposely slowed to a crawl on my trip back home. I had figured that I would catch a quick bite closer to home, enough to transform my eyes back to the amber of a vegetarian.

Suddenly, Mike Newton jumped down from a tree and landed about twenty feet in front of me. We stood motionlessly, both of us waiting for the other to react. I hoped his inexperience not only wouldn't clue him into the nature of my eye color change, but would also cause him to attack first. It only took one experience with his strange ability for me to keep a distance from his hands. Plus I had the upper hand to anticipate his every move since I could read every thought he had.

"Imagine meeting you here, like this," Mike spoke first. "I didn't think you would leave Bella's side after you stole her away from me earlier."

"She isn't your possession, Michael," I answered evenly. "I was just taking back what was rightfully mine."

He took a few cautious steps towards me, dead leaves and twigs crunching under his feet. "She's not a thing, you can't own her."

I held my ground and waited for him to continue. I wasn't going to argue semantics with this moron when I have more pressing things to do with my time.

"No response?" He stretched a hand out in front of him, taking five more steps towards me. "Okay, I guess you don't want to go there. But why don't we discuss the fact that your eyes are exactly like mine?"

I inwardly cringed because he had caught me off guard by noticing this fact at the last second. So I decided to lie. "All vampires have eyes like this."

"Now, you may think that I was just a stupid human, Eddie. But I think people would notice if your entire family had red eyes." He started to pace back and forth horizontally to my position. "I think it has something to do with your family's diet."

Now it was my turn to fidget uncomfortably, so I crushed the remains of my semi-functional cell phone in my pocket. "What are you getting at? I have somewhere to be."

"What would Bella think if she knew her beloved Edward has been drinking from humans on the side?" He approached closer still, smiling nervously with his threat. He was really concentrating on my response and kept his mind blank.

"It's not what you think. Now get the hell out of my way." I knew it was dangerous to move closer to him, but I wasn't going to let that show.

As I brushed past him and continued on my way, he called after me. "She deserves to know that you aren't who you say you are."

"Whatever, asshole," I said under my breath. I let my temper get the best of me and flipped him off as I increased the distance between us. I've been around Emmett way too long.

"I bet I get a taste of her before you do, Cullen," Mike said to my back.

I made it about thirty feet past him when his thoughts flooded my brain. They were so strong that I saw exactly what he pictured in his mind.

_Mike slowly undressed Bella before burying himself inside of her. Bella moaned in pleasure before offering Mike her neck. He drank deep before pulling away with Bella screaming in pain. And finally Bella, awakening as an immortal. _

I stopped in my tracks, determined to keep this future from happening. "You sick son of a bitch!" I snapped as I lunged for Mike.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: As usual, thanks to my prereader, Erikasbuddy, and my beta, OnePushyFox. And before I forget (which I usually do), the standard disclaimer applies. S. Meyer owns everything Twilight related. This fic has been featured in the "Under The Radar" fics section on Twilight Awards. They've made an awesome banner to go with my little story. Check it out at http:/reviews(dot)thetwilightawards(dot)**

**Emmett POV**

"Son of a bitch! He ditched me." I scanned the parking lot, taking a deep breath in through my nose. Charlie must have left while I was having a little chat with that red headed devil, Victoria. His scent barely lingered on the breeze and was too weak for me to figure out which way he went.

Bella wasn't going to like this. She was going to be super pissed that I left her father unprotected. I didn't smell any other vampires in the vicinity anymore, allowing me to let my guard down a little while I made a quick call.

"Alice," was all I could get out before she spewed out so many words so fast that they ran into one big word. And I didn't understand what the hell she was so excited about.

"Emmett?" she finally said clearly. "Did you hear me? You need to get to the police station and stay with Charlie."

"He ditched me while I gave Victoria a piece of my mind. That's why I am calling, to find out where he went."

She started speaking a mile a minute again, but I was ready for her this time. "I already saw it all, but I'm not sure what Victoria has planned yet."

I barely snuck in a "Sure thing" in a slight pause in her monologue.

"Oh no," annoyance and anger filled her voice. "Just get to Charlie and stick with him. I've got to stop Edward from pulling Mike to pieces out in the woods."

"But I'd rather," was all I managed to get out before she hung up her phone.

Living in this coven, with no special abilities to speak of, sucked major ass sometimes. Being big and strong as a vampire wasn't anything special. I was already bigger and stronger back when I was human. Just not strong enough to fend off that bear attack. Yeah.

No point in dwelling on what I couldn't change. I disappeared into the tree line, taking a shortcut through the woods to the police station. I guess it was back to guard duty for me, even though I'd rather be out there with Edward stomping a mud hole in Mike.

**EPOV**

I lunged towards the object of my hatred, seeing only red as I barreled into his waist. His back slammed hard against the trunk of an evergreen, momentarily stunning Mike and snapping the thick trunk in half. He clamped a hand down onto my shoulder while he was prone against the sticky, sap covered stump and cold ground. The sound of my body cracking underneath his fingers could be heard for miles as he dug into my limb with his digits, trying to force me to my knees.

But he didn't expect me to be swifter and more powerful than the previous time we'd tussled. And now that I knew what he had in store for Bella, I was going for death instead of maiming.

Just as an orange glow started to fill his palm and blanket my side with the eerie light, I punched him hard in the right cheek. Mike loosened his grip on my shoulder as his head snapped to the side. His once smooth skin was now riddled with cracks and slightly concave from the blow.

I quickly stood up, my body carefully crouched so I could react quickly to his next attack. But the sick bastard just smiled up at me as his skin knitted back together, returning to the perfectly smooth, almost unbreakable skin all vampires sported.

"Was that supposed to hurt? Dude, that's just foreplay with Victoria." He leaped towards my lower legs, but I easily side stepped his attack and he fell to the ground on his stomach.

Before Mike could right himself, I pushed all of my strength and weight into his back with one leg. His body sank into the ground and he clawed at the needles and other debris littering the forest floor to find a weapon or gain some kind of advantage over me.

I dropped to my knee, grinding it into his spine while I pulled both of his arms behind his back. All it was going to take was a little more pressure to rip his arms out of their sockets. "Still enjoying this?" I growled while I pulled his wrists high above his head.

Just as the limbs started to crack and splinter, Jasper's voice filled my head. _Don't kill him, Edward. We need him alive._

"Stay out of this, Jasper," I said under my breath and ground my knee further into Mike's spine. As he squirmed beneath me, I pulled his arms even higher. I needed him to feel pain comparable to what I'd felt when Bella was missing.

"Stop." His voice became shaky and desperate. "I give up. Please, let me go." He continued to whimper as I slowly drew each arm further away from his shoulders. Just a few more snaps of the hard limbs and I could start on his legs.

Footsteps quietly crunched behind me, stopping several yards away. I finally realized that I was ignoring Mike's silent pleas for help once Jasper's thoughts invaded my mind. _Alice says that we need him alive._

Through teeth gnashed together in great pain, Mike called out to Jasper. "Help me!"

"This doesn't concern you, Jasper. Leave." I suddenly felt a wave of calm creep over me, but I tried to shake his mind control off. "Don't try that crap with me."

But fighting Jasper's ability opened the dam that held back Mike's frantic pleas. _I'm so sorry. I don't want to die. I'll do anything._ With one swift pull, rock hard muscle separated from its joint. His left arm easily pulled free in my grasp, completely separating from his body.

Mike screamed in agony, his mind going blank and being overtaken by searing hot pain. The tiny glimpse I got from his thoughts was only white flames, no words. As I dropped his arm to the ground the light immediately dimmed in the dismembered appendage. But a dull orange light began to form in the palm of his intact right hand.

"What the hell is that?" Jasper asked. He moved closer to us, but he thankfully no longer flooded me with calming emotions.

The light grew brighter as Mike's body reacted to the pain and pressure I was applying to his shoulder.

"You feel like going to sleep, Jasper?" I said while I grabbed Mike's wrist, forcing the palm even further away from my body.

"I don't think so," Jasper said while he fearlessly approached, stopping just a few steps away from us. "Maybe he can put himself to sleep?"

I looked away from the back of Mike's head, quickly giving Jasper a quizzical look.

_Seriously, try it. It will save me the energy of keeping him calm with my abilities while we take him back with us._

The ball of light emanating from this newborn vampire's hand started to fade a little bit, obviously because he had the hope of not meeting his maker today.

"No. I think I'll just finish him off instead," I said and pushed Mike's face deep into the cold dirt with my free hand.

Almost instantaneously, his glowing palm lit up like a fireball. The light was so bright that I had to look away.

The newborn twisted and turned, trying desperately to shake out of my hold. He arched his back violently, nearly bucking me onto the dirt. Luckily, Jasper appeared at my side and helped pin Mike down.

While he growled viciously from his prone position, the blinding light didn't diminish or even blink. It continued to shine as bright as the sun, lighting up the dim forest and reflecting off of our skin.

_I don't know how long I can hold him, Edward. _Jasper shifted his weight higher up on Mike's body, trying to get a better grip on the flailing new vampire.

"Just hold him long enough for me to remove his other arm," I said to Jasper. But as I tried to reposition my knee in the middle of Mike's back, his dangerous arm broke free from my grasp. "Watch it, Jasper."

My brother caught the glowing limb around the wrist, pausing a fraction of a second before Jasper slowly forced Mike to palm his own temple. "Let's see if he can put himself to sleep."

The light was blocked out by the vampire's head and within seconds, Mike went limp beneath us.

"What do you know? He can use his ability on himself." Jasper laughed and jumped up. He stretched his arm out, lending a hand to help me up. When I looked up and met his gaze, Jasper's view of my face flooded my mind. He silently took in my red eyes before contemplating the increased strength I had displayed.

I stood up and quickly turned away. While I was waiting for some kind of judgment from him, I kicked Mike's severed limb towards his sleeping form. An old black and white war movie filled Jasper's head, hiding his true thoughts from my gift. But all I envisioned in my mind was my guilty face and red eyes from Jasper's vantage point.

After a few minutes of silence, Jasper finally spoke. "Looks like we have ourselves a prisoner. Let's get him back to the house before he wakes up."

He hoisted Mike's bulky form over his shoulder and I tapped Jasper on the shoulder with the severed limb. "You might want to bring this with you. I'll be home soon."

Jasper regarded me coolly, silently scrutinizing my eyes again. He opened his mouth to speak, but I heard him think that he should just keep his mouth shut. He turned and sprinted towards our home, leaving me to correct this little eye problem. I really hoped that he could keep silent about my little issue.

**Emmett POV**

The police station was practically a ghost town. The only cars in the parking lot were a beige early nineties Toyota four door and Charlie's police cruiser. Pausing with my hand on the glass entry door, I took one last look at the paved surface, half expecting a tumble weed to skip by in front of me.

After pushing through the door, the sound of a woman humming to herself filled the air and increased in volume as I walked further into the building. A brass nameplate on a small desk read "Joyce", where a woman with a grandmotherly air about her sat with her back to the front door while she tapped away on a keyboard.

I cleared my throat to alert her to my presence and she jumped in fright, spinning the office chair around to face me with a hand pressed firmly over her chest. I must have been too quiet when I came into the room. Damn vampire stealthiness.

Joyce quickly composed herself and returned my smile. "How can I help you, dear?"

"I'm looking for Chief Swan," I said as friendly as possible, turning on my charm.

She picked up the beige phone, her hand hovering over the number pad. "And your name is," she said as she began to dial a few numbers.

I heard Charlie talking to someone further into the building, but I needed to do things the normal human way here. "Emmett Cullen."

A phone trilled deep within the building, ringing six times before the Chief finally picked up the line. After alerting him that I was waiting, Joyce pointed to a row of hard folding chairs where I should wait.

I gave her my thanks and slowly walked to the chairs. If she wasn't here, I'd have let myself in and followed his scent through the building. Instead, I sat passively and waited. I hoped he didn't keep me waiting long; my only magazine options were _Guns and Ammo_ and _Family Circle._

Charlie had a few choice words for me, which he mumbled under his breath while he moved throughout the building. Once he had arrived in the lobby area, Joyce pointed in my direction.

"Thank you, Joyce," he said politely before turning his attention to me. "In my office, Emmett." He didn't wait for me to follow as he turned his back and walked briskly away. A few seconds later he entered a cramped office and sat in a well-worn leather chair.

"Close the door behind you," he said as I reached the threshold.

Stacks of paperwork littered the space. The desk seemed to be ground zero for the clutter, where the desktop was barely visible under the mountain of paperwork. I had to hand another pile to him just so I could sit in a chair hastily shoved in front of his desk.

We stared at each other for a minute, neither of us wanting to start the conversation. But Charlie couldn't stand the silence or the waste of his time. "What do you need, Emmett?" he asked, the annoyance barely concealed in his voice.

I took an unnecessary deep breath. "You know Bella wants me to be with you at all times."

"Yeah? I'm a big boy and I've got a job to do."

"Aren't you the least bit interested in what started the fight between those guys?" I glanced around the small office, trying to learn more about the man in front of me. He straightened a small picture frame next to his computer monitor, flashing a photo of Bella smiling in the desert.

"Does it matter?" Charlie asked before shuffling papers from one pile to another.

I could tell that getting him to admit anything was like pulling teeth. "It was an enemy of ours that started that fight. Why do you think I was inside the bowling alley for so long?"

"I figured you'd found a new hobby, so I left you to it."

"This is serious, Chief Swan. That vampire was actively preying on humans, treating the crowd like they were a smorgasbord. If I hadn't gone inside, some poor guy would be missing right now."

Leaning back in his chair, he seemed to think about what I had revealed. "You have a history with this vampire?"

I wondered how much I should reveal to Chief Swan. "We all have an unfortunate history with Victoria and her ex-boyfriend."

"Your entire family?"

"Yes, sir. Even Bella." I was going to be in big trouble for that revelation.

Bella's father quirked an eyebrow. "Is that right?" he said more to himself than to me.

I tried to cover my tracks. "We've tried to get her to move on with Mike Newton and another vampire, but she isn't budging."

"And they are the ones doing the killing around here, dumping bodies too?"

"Yes, sir. Why do you think it is so important to Bella that I'm here to protect you?"

"Okay," he said, his expression still blank and unconcerned. He stood up and opened the office door, waiting for me to exit. "Follow me."

We walked down a sterile corridor, the beige walls and grey floor leading us to a storeroom near the back of the building. Charlie unlocked the heavy door, using one key of about twenty on his key ring.

I peeked inside while he rummaged around the shelves, not sure if I was allowed back here. There was some serious fire power locked in cabinets along one wall. Plastic covered brown clothing hung from a small rack on another side of the room.

After handing me the clothing, he sighed. "Welcome to the force. These are the biggest that we've got."

As I peered through the clear plastic garment cover, I had a flashback to a vision of Alice's. _She was right. This uniform was butt ugly._

**EPOV**

After gorging myself on four deer closer to home, I tried to hurry back. But the unsavory liquid sloshed around in my stomach, making running very uncomfortable. And I had no idea if my eyes changed back to amber yet, so I was really taking a chance going back now. I couldn't make myself stay away any longer, now that I was feeling weaker and sluggish. _Inferior animal blood_.

I headed straight for my bedroom where Bella's even heartbeat called out to me. Leaning down to kiss her forehead and brush away a strand of hair that had fallen onto her beautiful face, her sleeping form didn't react in the slightest to my presence. Quietly, I eased into bed and lay next to her in silence.

She smelled different. The underlying essence that sang to me as her blood flowed through her veins was there, but it was altered slightly. Now there was a note of antiseptic and a familiar scent that I sometimes encountered in the hospital. Nudging closer to her side, I lightly pressed my nose into her neck. I told myself I was trying to deduce what caused her scent to be off kilter. Venom flooded my mouth while I breathed in deeply through my nose. Then waited until the urge to bite subsided and rolled away from the temptation that was her long neck.

But peacefully lounging next to my reason for being was not in the cards. The thoughts of a few members of my family spun at me from every angle, making it impossible for me to relax. I didn't hear Alice, Jasper, Emmett, or Rosalie and this greatly worried me. My shameful secret was in danger of being exposed, especially since I had seen the disapproval on both of their faces. So far Alice had stayed respectfully quiet, but now that Jasper knew about my indulgence in someone's blood, who knew how long it would be before everyone found out about my dirty little secret?

Mike was another loose end. He had also seen the hue of my eyes and deduced that I had drunk from a human. Although he automatically assumed that I had imbibed in someone besides Bella, any accusations that he threw out there would be questioned by my family.

I finally realized why Bella's scent was a little different, after I measured her even breathing and lack of talking in her sleep. Carlisle must have given her a sedative so she could rest. I remained by her side for at least a half hour, just watching her sleep. But her normal unconscious mannerisms were absent and I found myself growing bored by the time another familiar heart beat entered our home.

Emmett's roar of laughter echoed up the stairs, while Charlie's loud heartbeat and muddled thoughts drifted into me. I gently kissed Bella's hand, breathing in deeply near her bandaged wrist. With her blood tainted by medicine and antiseptics, it just wasn't as alluring.

When I reached the family room, Emmett and Bella's father were talking football like old friends. I ignored the small pang of jealousy, knowing that my brother seemed to be gaining something Charlie would only grudgingly give me – acceptance. But then again, Emmett wasn't dating his only daughter.

"Hey, bro, what's shaking?" Emmett asked as he walked past me on his way to grab a beer for Charlie. Since when did we have so much human food in this house?

"How's Bella?" Charlie asked as I took my brother's spot on the couch.

"She's still asleep."

"Good," he answered. "Emmett says that a vampire named Victoria is causing trouble in your area."

"That's what I'm told." I found myself giving Charlie as little detail as possible since I didn't want Bella's father any more involved with this mess than he had to be.

Emmett strolled back into the room and handed Charlie his drink. "And check out where she was hunting—at the bowling alley."

"Seriously? I guess she doesn't care about being discrete." And drawing the Volturi's attention to her antics didn't seem to be high on her list of worries either.

Charlie scoffed. "Especially since Sunday night is the busiest league day of the week."

"But what I want to know is where her little buddies were hiding," Emmett said as he waved the remote control for the television in the air.

I smiled while I replayed my fight with Mike in my thoughts. "I can account for Mike Newton."

Emmett paused his maniacal flipping through the television channels to look at me. "And I missed this? Oh man, what did you do?"

"He's missing an arm if Jasper dropped it somewhere in the woods while he was carting Mike's unconscious body somewhere."

Emmett laughed, slapping the couch while he smiled. "That's so awesome. Who knew you could be so brutal."

My smile quickly faded as Charlie studied me, his thoughts wavering between being impressed that I could avenge is daughter and being scared for her safety.

I met Charlie's eyes with my own, laying it all down on the table. "I promise that I will never hurt your daughter. I stake my life on it."

**Alice POV**

"How long has Edward been drinking humans?" Jasper asked. He sensed my nervousness and pushed me for answers even harder. But I remained silent, weighing my options.

We were far enough away from the house to ensure that Edward wouldn't overhear our discussion. I'd met Jasper a few miles into the forest and he unceremoniously dropped Mike Newton to the cold ground at our feet.

"You've known for a while, haven't you?" he accused. "How many innocent people has he killed?"

"He hasn't harmed anyone," I finally said.

"That's impossible. His eyes were completely red when I found him ripping apart the newborn earlier."

"Just trust me, all ends well."

"As far as your visions tell you right now, Alice." My mate grew more agitated with my vague responses. "Everyone freaks out when I lost control over blood from a simple paper cut, but you'll protect Edward when he's definitely lost control?"

I winced at his raised voice, especially since I didn't like to deceive him. "What do you want me to do, Jasper?"

He gently framed my face with his palms and looked deep into my eyes, instantly calming me. "Tell me how he does it and isn't out of control," my mate whispered. He stroked my lip with his thumb and I leaned into him further. "If he hasn't killed anyone, who did he turn?"

"He hasn't turned any one," I murmured. "And he doesn't plan on turning Bella either, just so you know."

"You're not going to tell me, are you?"

I wanted to tell him the truth, but I just couldn't. Not without disastrous consequences. "It's not my secret to share, Jasper." I glanced down at Mike Newton's unconscious body.

Jasper's eyes followed mine to the ground. "What should we do about him?" he asked. "I did as you asked and intervened so Edward wouldn't kill him."

"And I'm very grateful for your help. We'll take him home with us and Carlisle will try to talk some sense into him."

Jasper's eyes met mine briefly before returning to Mike's prone form. "But Bella's at the house, and maybe Charlie too. Do you think it's wise to bring a newborn into such close proximity to them?"

I looked into the distance, my eyes unfocused, and scanned my visions. "Bella and her father will be going home in a few hours. It will be safe."

"Safe from Mike or safe from Edward?" he added.

I sighed heavily. "Trust me, it will be okay."

Jasper effortlessly hoisted Mike over his shoulder. "After you," he gestured with Mike's dismembered left arm.

**EPOV**

Charlie, Emmett, and I sat in silence, watching sports highlights. After a while, I started catching fragmented thoughts from Jasper and Alice. I excused myself, intending to check on Bella when she started to scream.

"No, Mike," she said. "Please, don't." Her pleas became louder and more frantic.

Sensing the impending danger, I raced up the stairs and threw open my bedroom door, ripping it off the metal hinges. "Bella," I yelled as I threw myself towards the empty bed.

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Chapter 15


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: The usual thanks to my prereader Erikasbuddy and beta OnePushyFox. Stephenie Meyer owns the characters and I'm mangling them some more. Thanks for reading and shoot me a review. Pass the word too if you like my little story. **

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Chapter 16

**BPOV**

He stalked me from a distance, closing the gap between us with an overly animalistic and predatory posture. There was no way that this could be happening. I was safe in Edward's bed just a few minutes ago and they would never let him get this close to me. I scrambled up the mattress, clawing at the sheets and pillows as I tried to get away. He smiled, his flawless pale face crinkled sadistically as he approached me from the corner of the bedroom.

"No, Mike," I pled, squeezing my eyes shut in the hopes that he would be gone when I opened them. My breath rattled loudly in my lungs while my heart pounded in my ears. Slowly counting to five, I decided I would be brave and open my eyes. I fiercely hoped that he was gone.

But I had no such luck. I slowly opened my eyes and jumped at finding an inhumanly smooth face a mere inch away from mine. He lightly traced a cool finger along a bright blue vein at the surface of my skin, starting just above my silvered scar from James' bite and along my exposed arm to my neck.

"Please, don't," I said quietly, my voice breaking as he pushed my hair off of my shoulder and forced my head to the side to reveal my vulnerable neck.

"Don't worry, baby," he whispered against my thin skin. His icy cold breath floated across my neckline, leaving a trail of gooseflesh in its wake. "This will only hurt for a few days."

Sharp teeth pierced my neck and I struggled to break free. Part of me was relieved that I would now be like Edward, but a huge section rebelled for being turned by someone else.

Wrenching myself from his iron grip, I hit the ground with a hard thud. A slow burn invaded my neck and inched its way throughout my body while I writhed in pain. The burning was so much more intense when compared to the venom James had left behind. Suddenly, the vampire completely covered my prone body with his. While pushing his full weight into my small frame, his lips hovered over my ear and he whispered. "Hurts, doesn't it, love?"

I barely nodded my head while tears started to leak down my cheeks. He placed a light kiss on my forehead and stared unsettlingly deep into my eyes, never blinking. "Then let me take away the pain since you can't handle it."

I struggled to push him away, my hands clawing at his chest while he struck my neck again and pulled strongly on the flesh. Strength was quickly drawn out of my body with each spurting mouthful he drank. The life altering burn quickly disappeared and was replaced with mind shattering pain while I was slowly drained and grew colder.

My hands dropped from his chest just before the fight in me disappeared. Mike broke away from my neck and smiled, a thin trail of thick crimson rolling down his chin. "You taste so good, Bella," he said, but strangely the voice morphed from the newborn's to Edward's when he said my name.

"What?" I rasped while I became aware of someone lifting my body to a sitting position. Trying to push open my heavy eyelids, I could barely make out Edward's face bathed in soft moonlight through my darkened and hazy vision.

Cool fingers gently gripped my shoulders and slightly shook me back and forth. "Bella," Edward said again, his voice growing more frantic by the second. "Please wake up."

"Edward?" I whispered, my voice fuzzy from sleep. Relief swept over his face before he crushed me to his chest more forcefully than he should. I shivered when my overheated body met his icy hard chest.

"Oh, thank God," he said and pressed frantic kisses on the top of my head. "You sounded so scared. And then you weren't in our bed." He continued to hold my upper body to his chest tightly and I couldn't interrupt his rambling, let alone breather deeply.

"I-, I must have been dreaming."

"What the hell happened to the door?" my father called from the hallway; his body was a dark shadow while he blocked out the light from the hallway fixture. Edward finally released his grip on me so I stretching upwards to peer over the bed, just in time to watch Charlie side step over the heavy wooden door that was once attached to the frame. "And why are you two on the floor?" He eyed both of us with suspicion.

Edward jumped to his feet and helped me to mine at a dizzying pace. I steadied myself by holding onto Edward's bicep. "The door?" I asked him. How was I supposed to know what happened to the door? I was knocked out, remember?

"I came up to check on Bella and it sounded like she was in trouble. But she must have been dreaming, sir."

"And you ripped the door from the hinges because?" my father asked in his sarcastic and bating voice. I was sensing another lecture, this time on respecting personal property.

"I got a little anxious when I saw that she wasn't asleep in the bed." Edward nervously glanced from Charlie to the window. He took a few steps towards the back of the room and away from the large windows that loomed behind the bed.

Edward's repositioning did the opposite of what he wanted it to do. Both Charlie and I squinted through the glass towards the dark forest behind the Cullen's house.

Charlie's chest rose while he took a large breath and held it, his gaze not leaving the strange procession outside as Alice and Jasper carried an apparently unconscious Mike Newton towards the house. All three of them stood out against the deep black of night. Their pale skin glowed in the moonlight, making them look even more flawless and ethereal than usual.

I turned my attention back to my boyfriend, who was suddenly very interested in putting a few CDs back in their respective cases. "What's going on, Edward?" I asked.

Edward remained silent while he continued to tidy his belongings. Charlie continued to watch the trio through the glass, having moved closer to get a better view. In the reflection of the window, I saw my father's jaw muscles flex as he gnashed his teeth together. I haven't seen my father angry many times and the cop part of him usually took over to hide his extreme emotions. But this definitely wasn't a good reaction from him because he wasn't wearing his mask of cool detachment that he usually wore.

"Please tell me that isn't who I think it is," Charlie said and turned from the window and back to Edward, his voice full of exasperation. My father and I waited impatiently for Edward to answer the question, but he acted like he had no idea what we were talking about.

"You'll have to ask Alice," he finally answered while he continued to avoid eye contact with either of us. Edward was definitely not a good liar tonight.

My father threw his hands in the air and turned to leave just as the sound of wood splintering filled the air. Emmett had attempted to walk across the door, but his right foot went straight through the dark wood to the floor.

"Oops," he said while he tried to shake his foot free. "Why's the door on the floor?" Once he broke his foot free from the rectangular weight, he stood silently with his hands on his hips. His eyes narrowed as he caught a glimpse of Jasper dragging Mike's stiff form up an incline with Alice in tow a few steps behind.

Even my human eyes could make out what Alice carried along with her. "Is that an arm?" I said to no one in particular.

Emmett suddenly appeared at the window to get a better look. "Ah man, I always miss the good stuff," he said.

The three of us looked to Edward, who had finally stopped messing with all of the stuff in his room and stood unsettlingly still with his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. He didn't even blink or breathe.

"They wouldn't let me take care of him," my boyfriend said in an even tone devoid of emotion.

"Isn't Alice afraid of getting hit with the Insta-Sleep hands like you did, Edward?" my father asked.

Emmett chimed in too. "Good point, Charlie."

I sat down on the bed, my body growing heavier with exhaustion and the medication that was lingering in my body. Edward's stony expression flashed to one of worry, but quickly became unreadable again.

"It doesn't seem to work that way," Edward explained. "As soon as I tore it from his body the hand stopped glowing."

I internally bristled when Edward spoke of the violence he had showed towards Mike. Even though he kidnapped and held me against my will in a remote cabin, I wondered what kind of sick game they were playing by bringing him back here.

"Why is he not moving? I thought you guys never sleep," my father accused.

Edward finally turned to my father, pausing as if pondering what he should say next. "His special ability can be used on himself. Jasper and I subdued him with his own touch."

Emmett looked puzzled but remained silent by the window.

My father approached the bed and held his hand out to me. "Come on, Bells. Let's get you home."

"But we're safer here. You can't protect us from vampires." I ignored Charlie's outstretched hand and kept mine folded together in my lap.

He scoffed and placed his hands on his hips. "You think it's a good idea to stay here when they're bringing your kidnapper to this house?"

My father made a lot of sense as usual. He always had a way of cutting right to the chase and revealing the reality of the situation very simply. And I was left too groggy and listless from the sedative to contradict him. So I stood up quickly with the intention of following my father, but instantly wobbled on my tingling legs before Edward grabbed my waist to steady me. There was something in his eyes pleading for me to not leave, even though he never uttered the words.

"My dad's right. How can I rest when I know that Mike is here?" I added softly.

"I'll wait for you in the car, Bella," Charlie said and turned to leave.

Sensing the growing tension between Edward and me, Emmett trailed Charlie into the brightly lit hallway. "I'll walk you out."

Once they were safely out of sight, I fell completely into my beloved's waiting arms. The chill of his embrace was a welcome feeling since I was pretty numb, both physically and emotionally at the moment.

A few minutes of quiet comfort in his arms gave me time to piece together the new revelations. The sound of my breathing and pounding heart in my ears was a familiar soundtrack to accompany my thoughts. It was enough for Edward to remain motionless, not breathing or anything, just holding me when I needed him most.

But Edward's stillness was quickly becoming unnerving. He often displayed more mannerisms that were human necessities, like breathing and blinking, around me and other humans. There were a few times when he seemed especially human, like when his possessiveness and jealousy reared its ugly head. The way he was acting now just reinforced that he was something far from human, just in a mortal looking package.

After several minutes, he gently pulled away and caressed my cheek before pushing a stray lock of hair out of my face. "You better get going. Charlie's waiting."

"Okay," I answered. I stretched to wrap my arms around his neck, pulling myself nearer to his mouth to say good bye. His lips gently met mine, pressing lightly for a long, slow kiss. Just when I was about to pull away, his hands started to roam under my shirt and I didn't dare break our embrace.

I sucked in a large breath and crashed my mouth to his again. My breathing came in short gasps, wanting him more with every grunt and small noise that escaped his lips. He responded to the forcefulness of my advances by pressing the length of his hard body into me. I arced myself towards him, pushing my core closer towards his hips.

Temporarily forgetting all of our troubles, neither of us were willing to tamp down the passion that grew between us. For a few moments, nothing existed but the two of us and our mutual desire.

One of his hands caressed my back and along my hip before settling on my breast. He rubbed my erect peak through the thin fabric. Things between us were turning intense very quickly and my breathing grew fast and heavy.

I broke away, panting into his chest as he leaned down to kiss my neck. Each time his mouth touched my warm skin, delicious shivers spread throughout my body. Our minds were along for the ride, turning control over to the primitive parts of ourselves that reacted on instinct alone.

Edward mumbled into my neck. It sounded like he was talking to someone else and the words weren't meant for me.

"What did you say?" I whispered as I palmed his erection through his jeans. I slowly rubbed the entire length of his manhood. He hissed in response and found my lips with his again. His fingers echoed my hand's motions, rubbing along the stiff peak and amplifying my desire even more.

"Just one more minute," he rasped against my lips. His other hand pulled me tighter against his body, not willing to let me out of his grasp just yet. I slipped my hand into the waistband of his pants, needing to get skin on skin contact.

Edward did the same, quickly running his hand under my shirt and finding my bare flesh responding to his touch. I moaned in pleasure and embraced the intimate contact as we explored each other.

And just when things grew more heated, Emmett interrupted by yelling from downstairs. "Charlie _is_ waiting in the car, you two."

"Damn it," I said, slipping my hand from inside his clothing. He rested his forehead against mine but left his hand cupping my naked breast.

"You better go." He straightened my shirt and kissed my forehead. "I'll be in your room before you get there."

"Promise?" I asked and stretched to gently kiss his lips.

He returned the quick, chaste kiss with a longer one of his own. "I'll be waiting. I promise."

"He's starting to swear to himself," Emmett sang loud enough from the bottom of the stairs for me to hear, his voice rising in pitch as he spoke. What was he, like ten years old mentally right now?

"Yeah, I better go," I said, blushing as I walked away from Edward. I felt his amber gaze boring into me as I departed. His recent behavior was a little worrying. I had enough to worry about with the whole Mike situation. I knew it was crazy, but I didn't feel like I was in danger when I was in that cabin. He certainly had the opportunity to harm me, but he basically just left me alone. It was against my will, of course. Plus, I had no way of knowing what he had in store for me since I was rescued before he could return.

Emmett met me at the bottom of the stairway, a knowing smile on his face as I approached. I really wanted to ask Emmett how it went earlier guarding my father, but I didn't get a chance before Charlie started honking the police cruiser's horn. I sighed loudly and shrugged my shoulders.

"Later," Emmett said and continued to laugh while I trudged out the front door and into the front seat.

**Jasper POV**

Dragging Mike's body wasn't really that difficult. I could have effortlessly lifted his bulk over my shoulder and ran, but I didn't think that he deserved such respectful treatment. This guy was a loose cannon and even more dangerous with his newly manifested ability. Opportunely, I pulled him along the dirt, his body bumping over rocks and fallen trees. He didn't show any signs of consciousness. I continued on in this manner, letting Alice carry the arm Edward had savagely ripped from its socket. I didn't know how much human blood he had ingested, but my brother's personality was quickly becoming more violent and heartless.

"Do we really have to hold him prisoner, Alice?" I asked when our house came into view.

Still a few strides behind me, she didn't look happy to be carrying a severed arm. "If we didn't get him away from Edward," she said. She easily caught up to me and readjusted her grip on the arm, slinging it over her shoulder like a soldier marching with a rifle. "Edward would have finished him off. He can't handle that kind of burden right now."

"What burden?" I scoffed. "His mate is back safe and sound. The only threat to Bella now is himself or possibly the wrath of her father when he finds out what Edward has been up to."

"Let's just get the newborn home and Carlisle can decide what to do with him."

I unceremoniously dropped Mike's still unconscious body onto the hard cement of the garage floor. The impact of his body was accompanied by a heavy sound that echoed throughout the structure.

Alice quickly dropped her piece of Mike and opened the steel door that led into the house. "I'm going to take a shower," she said.

The scents of both Charlie and Bella quickly filled the cavernous space and instantaneously venom flooded my mouth. The vegetarian lifestyle was even harder to take than I thought it would be. I was beginning to envy Mike a little, especially his freedom to eat what he wanted without fear of a guilt trip or the silent treatment and disapproving looks from his family

I knew that I couldn't just leave him in here all by himself. What if he woke up and busted out of this space. The scent of humans saturated the air and I'm sure he'd be extremely hungry when he woke up. No newborn that I've ever seen went for more than a day without the intense burning of thirst reaching a maddening level. Only human blood could quench the fire and several humans would be needed to make him stable. One whiff of the inside of our house would send Mike into a frenzy. He'd ransack the dwelling for Charlie and Bella, tearing the place to pieces before realizing that the sound of their heartbeats were long gone.

With that in mind, I sat down on the hard step leading up to the house and waited.

**Bella POV**

"So," my father began once we were on the smooth black top road leading from the Cullen's house to Forks. "Emmett tells me that you have an unfortunate history with these vampires."

"It's a really long story," I answered dully, hoping he wouldn't pry.

"We have plenty of time, Bells. Why don't you tell your old man all about it?" The police scanner crackled to life with static filling in the pauses between the dispatcher's words.

I took a deep breath while Charlie turned the volume down on the radio. Biting my lip, I stared at nothing through the windshield and began to tell my story. "Do you remember when Edward took me to play baseball with the Cullen's earlier this year?"

My father chuckled, a smirk on his lips. "Sure do," he replied. I had no doubt that he was laughing at his mental picture of me ever trying to play any sport without harming myself in the process.

"In the middle of the game, three nomadic vampires stumbled upon us. These vampires were the ones responsible for the killings that were labeled animal attacks for the last year." I paused and waited for my father to say something, but he just nodded for me to go on.

"One of them, a vampire named James, figured out that I was human. It's pretty unheard of for a human to be around vampires without meeting their maker. So when he intimated that I was basically a snack for everyone, Edward and his family's defensive reactions made him want me for his own."

"Hold on," Charlie broke in to my monologue. "This is the night you ran off last spring, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. But I left with Alice and Jasper so the others could lead James away from Forks. In the vampire world, he was a tracker. Hunting down his human prey gave him the biggest joy and I became his next target. He wasn't going to stop until he caught me and devoured my blood."

Flashes of that night in my old ballet studio overwhelmed my mind. I could see every little detail as clearly as if it had just happened yesterday. "We knew that James would just track my scent to our house first and I couldn't risk you getting killed over me."

"Did this vampire find you?"

I instinctively covered the bite mark on my wrist, lightly tracing the contours of the raised white scar. "He did. He lured me to my old ballet studio. I thought that he had taken mom." I closed my eyes and took another deep, ragged breath. "I couldn't let her die in my place either."

We pulled into the driveway and Charlie turned off the car. "So you didn't really fall down the stairs in Phoenix, did you?"

"No," I answered quietly. I held my arm out for Charlie to see my war wound. "He beat me up pretty bad and was able to bite me before the Cullen's killed him."

Charlie stared silently at the shiny bite mark on my arm, scrutinizing every shape the teeth had left behind.

"And the Cullen's really risked themselves to save you?"

"They treat me like family," I replied. "Don't you see how Edward and the rest of them are so important to me?"

"Hmm," was my father's unreadable reply. "So the other two vampires, why are they sticking around here?"

"We didn't know that Victoria and Laurent were still in the area. But they are brazenly killing whoever they want. Plus, they turned Mike Newton into what he is today."

"The Newton boy has certainly started raising hell around here." My father unfastened his seat belt and opened the car door. "So why did they bring Mike back to their house?"

I took another deep breath and began to feel lightheaded. "You know as much as I do right now about that situation."

"As long as the Cullens keep an eye on Mike, I don't need Emmett following me around."

"I don't think that's a really good idea." I slammed the car door shut and walked to the front door, my father a few steps behind me as I turned my key. "The other two vampires are wild cards now. Who knows what they'll do next?"

The phone rang as we entered the house and my father went into the kitchen to answer it. I headed directly upstairs, hoping to find Edward waiting for me in my room.

"Bella," my father called from downstairs.

I stopped at the door to my room, pausing with my hand on the doorknob . "Yeah?"

"I'm calling you off of school today. Get some rest."

I opened my door and Edward was waiting for me, his long, lean body sprawled on my bed waiting for me to join him. I smiled as I replied to my father. "That's probably a good idea. I think I'll go to bed right now."

I kicked off my shoes, stripped off my clothes and replaced them with a comfortable tank top and shorts. Then I wordlessly sank down onto the bed, cuddling up to my beloved for some more sleep. These last few days had been very traumatic and had left me exhausted.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: The usual thanks to my prereader and beta, Erikasbuddy and OnePushyFox. They make sure everything is kosher and are surprised while they're along for the ride, just like everyone else. Big thanks to Camilla for pimping this on A Different Forest. If you enjoy this story, please share with your friends and drop me a review. As usual, Stephenie Meyer owns everything, blah blah blah.**

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**Chapter 17**

**Carlisle POV**

"How long has he been like this?" I asked Jasper while diagnosing the newborn from a safe distance. My son had a firm grip on the unconscious vampire's intact arm. Jasper effortlessly held the limb tightly against the concrete wall, just in case Michael awoke suddenly and decided to use his most potent defense against us.

"It's been around three hours," he answered. "How long was Edward knocked out?"

"Nowhere near this long." I crouched down on the hard cement floor of our lower level's storage area and carefully lifted one of Mike's eyelids, noting that the pupil behind it was unfocused and unresponsive. I checked the other one and observed the same results. With his eye color darkening from red to black, I knew that we'd have a hard time controlling the newborn when he woke up ravenous.

"Maybe he's been out for so long because the intensity of the light was higher?" Jasper adjusted his grip again. "The glow from that thing was so bright. I had to look away. Just the brief glimpse left me seeing black spots."

"Hmm," I said after checking for any reflexes and finding none. "I've never seen this kind of phenomenon in vampires before." What were the odds that so many specially gifted vampires were in such a close proximity? I was truly stumped.

"What should we do about his arm?" Jasper asked, looking to me for a final decision. I didn't relish the fact that Edward tried to tear this newborn to pieces, limb by limb, even if he was proving to be very disruptive and harboring an unhealthy fascination with Bella.

"He'll have to use his own venom to put it back on when he wakes up." I quickly scrutinized every aspect of this unconscious body. There was no breathing, no pupil reaction, and no reflexes. It was as if he was completely dead, if he were human. But since he was a vampire like us, he wouldn't truly be dead without being torn apart and burned to ash.

"How long should I wait for him to wake up?" Jasper had let go of the vampire and decided to stand a few feet away from the form slumped haphazardly against the bare wall.

"I'll have Emmett relieve you in a while. Soon you'll have to go watch Bella's house for any trouble."

Jasper's face fell serious. "I don't think that Bella wants me to stand guard. She's made her preference for Emmett quite clear."

"But you'll be better able to control a difficult situation, should one arise, with your ability. I'm sure it will be fine since Edward is with Bella now. "

After having found his orders acceptable, he stood at attention in one corner of the small storage room. I needed to think things through, to try and make some sense out of this monstrosity of an unusual situation.

I found Esme in the den and I gave her a quick kiss before I retired to the library to sort this mess out and flip through some old books. One thing was for sure, we needed to be as discrete as possible. No one would like for the Volturi to be alerted to this situation. No good could ever come from their heavy handed involvement.

**Bella POV**

Bright rays of sunshine streamed through my bedroom window, landing on Edward's uncovered arm and sending prisms of colored light throughout the room. It was unusual for the day to be this sunny, certainly at this time of year. Some of the bright reflections were aimed directly at my face, eventually pulling me out of my peaceful slumber. I had fallen asleep within a few minutes of arriving home and snuggling up next to him on my bed. While I remember starting out with my head on his chest and his strong arms holding me tight, we had changed positions and I now lay on my side with Edward molded to the back of my body.

Normally, he knew instantly when I awoke. But Edward didn't greet me with a kiss like usually did. "Edward," I whispered, but he didn't answer.

I tried to turn around in his arms so I could see his face. His heavy arm rested like dead weight around my hip and belly, limiting my movements. I pushed back the rising panic from being trapped underneath him and struggled to slide out from under his embrace.

After some fervent maneuvering, Edward remained stone still no matter how I wiggled and I was finally able to turn onto my back. Breathing was a bit difficult due to the heavy weight of his arm now pressing down on my diaphragm. At least I had a clear view of Edward's face now. He wore an expression of serenity and peacefulness, his eyes gently closed.

Once I realized that he appeared to be sleeping, warning bells trilled inside my head. "Edward," I said louder after I turned my head to face him directly. Immense relief washed over me when he mumbled something and nuzzled his face into my neck, pulling me into his arms tightly once more.

_Thank God he's still alive,_ I thought. Something very strange was happening and I would bet it had something to do with what Mike did to him the night of my kidnapping. Apparently, Mike had the power to not only knock a vampire unconscious, but also force them into some kind of sleep pattern.

The first thing I thought to do was call Carlisle. Who would know vampires better than a doctor who's been one for hundreds of years? I stretched my arm towards the night stand where Edward's phone sat, silently mocking me from beyond my grasp. I could stretch towards it all day and it would be of no use; my arm was too short to reach it. When I tried to scoot over on the mattress, Edward moved with me. This time his hand wasn't wrapped around my waist. Instead, it firmly cupped my breast.

As he spooned me and held me firmly in his embrace, I finally just gave up. It wasn't looking like I could escape his body anytime soon. And this sleepy time roaming hand situation was getting interesting. Deciding I might as well enjoy the unrestrained cuddling while I could, especially since he was normally so rigid while conscious, I closed my eyes and drifted back to sleep with a smile on my lips. And I didn't even mind the chill of his body. The cold didn't bother me when I thought of it as the warmth of love.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"Bells."

I awoke with a start, disoriented and pinned to my mattress.

Loud knocking echoed through the door, followed by a squeaky twisting of the doorknob. "Bella, are you awake?"

My heart pounded in my chest. My father was going to walk right into my bedroom. He definitely wasn't going to enjoy seeing his scantily clad, only daughter in her unconscious vampire boyfriend's possessive arms. "Hold it, dad," I yelled, trying to mask the panic in my voice.

The door opened a crack and I sucked in a large breath. My mind raced as I tried to figure out what to do. Edward lay beside me, still out like a light. "Don't come in, I'm changing!"

"Oh," my father said and pulled the door shut. He cleared his throat before speaking through the door. "Something came up and I'll be gone for a few hours. Will you be okay by yourself?"

"Yeah," I croaked from my precarious position on the bed.

"I'll bring home dinner, so don't worry about cooking." I held my breath while I listened to the sound of his retreating footsteps grow quieter as he trotted down the stairs and out of the house. With a thump and a click, he closed and dead bolted the front door.

Finally breathing once his car pulled out of our driveway, I loudly blew it out through pursed lips. That crisis was averted, but now onto the problem of waking up Edward.

I started small, just by speaking his name aloud in a normal tone. No response, not even a twitch. My left elbow had a bit of wiggling room, so I tried to thump his chest with my arm. The only thing I accomplished with that move was bruising my thin skin against his rock hard body.

"Edward," I repeated in a tone that was definitely termed an "outside voice." That should have been like me screaming through a megaphone directly into his ear with his supernatural hearing. After a few minutes of lying completely still with my elbow twisted awkwardly in the air, I slowly inched my arm down towards the bed. Since Edward's arm was in the way and he lay on his side facing me, my movements caused my hand to inadvertently trail along his waist and across his zipper before coming to rest on the bed. Now Edward's eyes fluttered open, his dark eyes sparkling as he assessed the situation.

"Good morning, sunshine," I said. "Yelling your name doesn't wake you up, but I guess accidentally grazing your crotch does the trick."

Edward's eyes darted around the room; the look of confusion blanketing his face was something I'd never seen before now. "What's happening?" he said so quickly that the syllables blended together into one short word.

"Apparently you are now the only vampire that sleeps. Do you mind moving your arm so I can get up? I've been trapped under it for a long time."

He quickly sat up, allowing me to have a desperately needed human moment in the bathroom. When I walked back into the bedroom, my bladder was no longer about to burst and my breath was a lovely mint. Edward sat on the edge of my bed with his head in his hands, two bare feet planted firmly on the floor.

"Hey." I sat next to him on the bed, nudging him with my shoulder lightly. "I was worried about you," I confessed.

"This shouldn't happen." He scrubbed a pale hand over his face while exhaling a large unneeded breath. "After you fell asleep, I read for a while. But the words started to blur together I must have passed out because I don't remember even putting the book down."

"I couldn't wake you up and Charlie almost caught us in bed together." Edward's concerned eyes found mine. "I had to basically tell him that I was naked so he wouldn't barge right in."

A small smile appeared on his lips, but his eyes wandered from mine, lingering on my neck before traveling even further down along my body until he was finally staring at the floor. "Where's Charlie? I don't hear his heartbeat or his thoughts."

"Out for a few hours." I took Edward's hand in mine and leaned my head on his shoulder. A small sigh escaped my lips as I gazed up at him. His eyes were twin bottomless black pools. I could have sworn they were amber when I went to sleep. The color change, the movement from satiated to raw hunger, had never happened this fast before.

"Mmm-hmm," he murmured as he pushed a stray lock of hair behind my ear, his hand lingering on my cheek. "And he thought it was a good idea to leave you here all alone? Unprotected?"

I didn't really have an answer for his question. On one hand, Charlie hadn't really left me vulnerable because my protector was lying next to me the entire time. Of course my dad didn't know that Edward came in through my window and spent most nights in my bed. On the other hand, what was my father doing running around without Emmett's protection anyway?

"But you're here."

"And I was dead to the world, trapping you on this very bed up until a short time ago."

"I'll be fine as long as we're together." I caressed his forearm, marveling at the flawless skin.

He scoffed lightly. "Only if I'm actually awake. You couldn't even wake me up, let alone pry my arm off of you."

"I don't think my father would agree that we should move in with you, or to have Emmett here all of the time. And Rosalie hates me enough as it is. I don't dare suggest it."

"It will only be temporary."

Curiosity got the best of me and I changed the subject. "Hey, you never told me about the nightmare when Mike first zapped you."

Edward closed his eyes, as if he watched the dream replay behind his eyelids. "I don't think I'm ready to relive that nightmare just yet. And I certainly don't want anyone else to hear about it, asid from you."

"We're all alone now. Probably for the last time until this whole Mike mess is finished." I turned sideways on the bed and sandwiched his hand between mine. "Then tell me what it was like to sleep again after all this time."

"It was a relief. I finally couldn't hear everyone's thoughts. But I did dream of you for a second time. And it was rather – _pleasant._"

"Pleasant." I raised my eyebrows in interest, locking my gaze to his in the hopes of pulling the juicy details out of him. "Why don't you tell me all about it?"

Edward looked away from me, seemingly embarrassed to recount the tiniest aspect of the inner workings of his subconscious. "We were lying here, on this bed, just as we have many times before," he began.

I moved a little closer to his hard body, eager to hear more. "Go on," I prodded.

"And I didn't have to be as careful about touching you, like I should be now." His eyes returned to mine. Thick lashes framed the desire forming in his eyes.

I moved to straddle his lap, meeting no resistance from Edward. "Like this?" I whispered while wrapping my arms around his neck. The shocking chill of his frame seeped through my thin clothes, tightening everything on my body that reacts to the cold.

He nodded his head and ran his hands down each side of my body, taking a detour to skim my tight peaks before settling low on my waist. I moaned lightly as I pressed my core into the hard length growing in the tiny void of space between our bodies. He held me firmly against himself, a low grunt escaping his lips as I swiveled my hips slightly.

"Not quite," he said breathlessly as he tugged the hem of my tank top towards my head. I raised my arms and my bare skin was instantly free and on display. After he discarded my shirt on the floor, I suddenly found myself, back against the mattress with Edward hovering over me.

Our lips crashed together, the kiss immediately furious and all encompassing. I fisted my hand in the back of his hair, holding his lips to mine greedily. When I gasped for air, he covered one of my nipples with his mouth and gently swirled his tongue around it before suckling lightly. I moaned and closed my eyes in ecstasy, now clutching his head to my chest to keep him anchored there.

But I wasn't strong enough to hold Edward in place. Kneeling on the bed, he quickly removed his shirt and added it to the pile of clothing now forming on my bedroom floor. I tugged at the waistband of his pants, the button coming undone as I blindly explored him with my hand. The hard planes of his stomach led to the even harder bulge hidden under an annoying layer of dark fabric.

While I continued to study the parts of him I could reach, he moved on to discover other parts of my body. He kissed my still raw wrist, trailing kisses up the length of my arm. He flicked his tongue over an abrasion on my bicep, one I must have gotten when I fell over while I was tied up in the cabin. An intense burning seeped into my skin, setting my bicep ablaze.

I sucked in a sharp breath and gnashed my teeth together, trying to stifle the urge to yelp in agony. Edward immediately stilled, licking his lips while he studied my arm. I writhed in pain while the acidic venom slowly crept further into my veins. I finally forced words out through a clenched jaw. "It burns."

His panicked eyes flitted from my arm to my face and back again. It only took a fraction of a second for Edward to comprehend the situation before his cool lips surrounded the site of the searing pain and immediately applied forceful suction to my delicate skin. I could feel the venom reversing its course with each deep pull he took from my body. After a few seconds the fire inside my veins disappeared, but Edward continued to drink deeply. The panic that had threatened to overtake me dissipated and was replaced with a new emotion – strong desire. I relished the thought that only I could give him this. I could nurture him and satiate his hunger, in every way possible.

Edward's lips didn't stray from my bicep as I slipped my hand into his pants, tugging his length free. I studied his face while I began to stroke him, measuring his reaction to my boldness. He growled low in his chest, closing his eyes tightly while he continued to drink from me.

Holding my arm to his mouth tightly with one hand, the agile fingers of his free hand rolled my nipple. Ripples of pleasure shot through my body and pooled deep inside my belly.

"Oh," I rasped, surprised by the sensations originating wherever he touched me, shooting out to consume my entire body.

Speeding up the movements of my hand, he met each thrust with one of his own. My body burned again, but this time it ached for him to bury himself deep inside of my center. "Please," I whispered and pushed my hips towards his manhood.

He broke away from my arm and met my hooded gaze with intense crimson eyes. I kept a steady rhythm, urging him forward. He moved quickly, tossing the rest of his clothing onto the floor. Suddenly, I found my arms above my head, his hardness pressing at my center as he hovered over me.

With his forehead resting against mine, he unexpectedly stopped cold. Edward regarded me silently while I held my breath, just waiting for him to make the next move. We both knew there was no turning back after this primal act. It was ultimately his decision, only he knew if he could handle this kind of intimacy. I never doubted his ability to control himself. It just didn't seem possible for him to cause me physical harm.

I nodded my head slightly, silently imploring him to continue.

With a quick tug my panties were off and there was finally nothing standing in the way between us. Edward closed his eyes and slowly pushed his way inside. I bit down on my lip, trying not to cry out in both pain and relief. I didn't believe that this was finally happening. My core grudgingly accepted his offering, my body slowly expanding to accommodate him. The coppery tang of fresh blood filled the air, but I wasn't sure if it came from the gash on my arm or my body welcoming him inside. If I could smell the blood this strongly, it must be flooding Edward's senses. We both remained motionless for what seemed like an eternity. I waited for his next move while he breathed shallowly, his eyes still tightly shut.

The sharp pain deep inside finally dulled and I urged him forward. I pulled his head down to mine, willing him into action with a fierce meeting of our lips. He slowly eased back, but immediately pushed back in even further this time. His muscles flexed as he began to rhythmically move above me. With each thrust, the pain lessened and was replaced with building pleasure.

Our pace quickened, Edward's hips moving faster as a thin sheen of sweat covered my naked flesh. The coolness of his skin warmed as it met mine. We met, skin on skin, pressure slowly building inside of me, threatening to boil over.

He freed my hands and gripped the headboard with his own. I roamed the hard planes of his chest, trying to find purchase as he moved faster and faster. The fire building up inside of me suddenly flashed, sending a burst of white heat to envelope my body as I clenched around him. My vision dotted with blackness before my eyes slammed shut in ecstasy. Our breaths came in short pants and after a few more thrusts, Edward exploded inside of me. The loud sound of splintering wood accompanied every twitch of his member. Waves of pleasure rippled through us while I held on for dear life.

I went limp, completely spent. Edward met my gaze as he blanketed my body with his. "I love you," he whispered before lowering his lips to mine in a slow, lingering kiss. He placed gentle pecks down my neck to my shoulder, before turning his attention on my injured arm.

I ran my hand through the back of his hair while he nuzzled into my chest. I could stay like this forever with Edward, if only he'd let me. So I took what I was offered, and hoped it was enough for the both of us.

The slamming of car doors jolted us out of our blissful trance, both of our heads snapping towards the front of the house. "It's Charlie," he said, a twinge of fear invading his voice. "And I think your mother, Jacob, and Billy Black are here as well."

"Shit," I hissed. I pushed at Edward's chest as I tried to decide what we should do next. My mother's laughter echoed towards the house, while the jangling of metal on gravel must have signaled the opening of Billy's wheelchair.

"What is my mother doing here?" I whimpered. It was bad enough to be caught by Charlie, but Renee too? She'd probably want details. And there was no way I was going there with my mom.

"I better get out of here," Edward said while he scrambled for his clothes.

I started for the bathroom as I heard footsteps on the front porch, followed by the clanking of metal keys together. "Are you crazy? Do you really think they won't notice a vampire darting out my window and right past them?"

His mouth hung open slightly while he froze in place. "The wolf will smell me here anyway."

"The bathroom," I whispered when I heard the front door open. Edward literally streaked past me and turned the shower on before anyone took a step inside the front door. I ran after him and slammed the door behind me. With my back against the door, I tried to control my heavy breathing and calm down.

"Bella?" my mom called as she started up the stairs. A knock on the bathroom door made me jump. "Bella?"

"Mom," I answered loudly, surprise filling my voice. "I'll be out in a minute."

"Take your time, sweetie. I'll just have your father put my bags in your room."

My eyes grew large and I didn't have time to get dressed before stopping anyone from going into my room. I held my breath and closed my eyes tightly, as if I didn't move then no one else in the house would either. I slowly counted in my head. _One. Two. Three_.

"What the hell happened in here?" Charlie spat.

My mom gasped before snickering loudly. "Oh, my," she somehow got out between fits of laughter.

Loud footsteps thundered over the hardwood floor and stopped right in front of the bathroom door. "I don't even want to know what happened to your bed, _Isabella._"

I finally opened my eyes, but I leaned all of my weight against the door. Edward had dressed in the meantime and was eyeing the tiny bathroom window as a means to escape. The water was so hot coming out of the tap that the room was already full of steam.

"I know you two are in there." Charlie paused, waiting for an answer. But both Edward and I remained silent. There was no way to win this war with my father.

"You have to come out of there sometime," he said, his voice filling with anger.

I barely heard the muffled voice of Renee, trying to calm my father down. But I didn't hear any footsteps, so I knew no one had given an inch. Luckily there was a robe hanging on a hook next to the shower, so I quickly put it on and opened the door an inch to peak out.

"Dad, Mom," I said with faked surprise. I poked my head out through the crack. "What's up?"

"Don't play dumb, Bella. I'm not stupid." My father's tone had transformed into cop mode and he stood with his hands on his hips, looking very imposing. My mother had retreated behind him to the top of the stairs.

"Hey, mom. I'll meet you downstairs in a few minutes. Okay?" I watched as she bounded down the steps and waited until I heard her speaking to Jacob and Billy.

"This is my house and you play by my rules as long as you live here," my father started with his lecture. "I don't have many of them, but you two crossed a line with this one."

My father didn't have a clue about how far over the line Edward and I had just travelled.

"Open the door all the way. I know that Edward is in there too. Jacob smelled him as soon as he walked in the front door," my father added in a quieter volume.

I closed the door again and looked to my beloved for guidance. "Just open the door and get this over with."

I took a deep breath and pasted on a serious face as I threw the door wide open.

"I know kids these days are doing this sort of thing early, but you've got to at least respect…" Charlie said before he paused. He stared intently at Edward, who was trying to look as small as possible while my dad scrutinized his face. "I know what those eyes mean."

"Chief Swan," Edward began, trying to do some damage control. I had forgotten that his eyes blazed crimson. Someone must have told my father about the changing hues of vampire eyes depending on what they ate or if they were thirsty.

"Don't bother. Both of you go back into Bella's room and wait there. I'm calling your father."

Edward swallowed loudly while I gaped in shock. Now everyone would know our secret.

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**How deep do you think the shit is that Edward is standing in right now?**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Welcome to another chapter. And I want to thank my prereader who is also my beta this week, Erikasbuddy. She had me snorting with laughter on the train while I read her comments on the last half of this chapter. Not good when you sit in the quiet car. I gave my usual beta, OnePushyFox, the day off since we're getting ready for Book Expo America in New York next week and it's her birthday. So excited! Check out the note at the bottom for some fic recs. Please drop me a review and share this with your friends if you like what you're reading.**

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Chapter 18

**Emmett POV**

"What the hell are you doing with my arm, asshole?"

I looked up and gave Mike the biggest smile that I could muster. I swung his arm again, just like I was swinging for the fences in major league baseball.

"Seriously, that's not a bat." He snatched out at me with his good arm. "Now give it back."

I pondered the prisoner's request for a few seconds. "I don't think you asked very _nicely_." What it really came down to right now, was that the newborn wasn't really in a position to throw out demands.

Mike sat silently, trying to give me his most intimidating look possible. I wasn't swayed in the least, so I stretched his severed limb up over my head and used it as a back scratcher. "Now that hits the spot. I haven't been able to reach that in a while." I made a show of scratching all over my back, adding in the "oohs" and "ahs" for extra dramatic effect.

"Isn't there some kind of rules for humane treatment of people you hold captive?" Mike asked, but he hadn't even tried to stand up yet. Smart boy. "Like the Geneva Convention or something?"

"Nice point, smarty pants. But I'm pretty sure that only applies to humans, not douchey newborns who don't know their place in the vampire hierarchy." I dropped his arm to my side. His eyes followed the arm wherever it went. "And this here isn't attached anymore so I believe its fair game."

"Come on, man. Just give it to me already."

"I didn't hear the magic word," I deadpanned. After pausing for a few seconds, I swung his arm around to scratch my ass, just to see what kind of reaction I'd get out of Mike. So far he was being too much of a model prisoner, especially since he had been passed out for almost five hours.

"Magic word?" Mike's face filled with panic while he tracked the journey of his dismembered limb towards my ass crack.

"Yeah, the magic word. If you don't get it right, there _will_ be consequences." I leered at him, making him feel uncomfortable on purpose. "Ever heard of a Dutch Rudder?"

"Dude, you're sick!"

I stopped with his stiff fingers a mere inch from my backside. "Ding, ding, ding," I called and pointed towards him with the arm. "Tell him what he's won!" I said in my best game show announcer voice.

Mike just stared at me with his mouth hanging open, completely clueless. "Dude was the magic word," I informed him. It was possible that I'd been watching the Game Show Network way too much lately. But those _Price Is Right_ chicks have always been so hot, how can you not watch that? And those _Deal or No Deal _women definitely gave Bob's babes a run for their money.

"This is all sorts of fucked up." Mike placed his good hand on the cement floor, readying to push himself up.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you," I interrupted. "Sit back down or you're going to have a new nickname very soon."

Mike slumped back down to the floor, sighing loudly in irritation. The sooner he realized that he had no control over this situation, the faster he'd make his body whole again. I knew that I'd catch some shit from Carlisle for not giving Mike's arm back in a timely fashion, but this was just too much damn fun. And Jasper had asked me to shove it where the sun doesn't shine if Mike misbehaves. I looked at that as carte blanche coming from our war veteran.

"So, Mr. One-Arm-Mike," I said as I began pacing back and forth in front of him. "This pyrotechnics trick that you have going on – how'd you like being on the working end of it?"

"What?" he asked as if he didn't have a clue what I was talking about.

I lightly smacked upside his head with his own hand. "The goodnight light that shoots out of your hands, bonehead." Honestly, could this kid be this dumb or was it all an elaborate act?

"Oh," he said quietly, understanding finally flashing across his face. Man, this guy was dumber than a box of rocks. And people thought _I_ was a dipshit because of my majestic bulk. "I don't know. I just slept like I did when I was human, before all of this vampire crap happened."

"Do you feel rested there, Lefty?"

"I'd feel better if my arm was hanging off of my shoulder instead of resting against yours."

I briefly wondered if I'd tortured him enough. _Nope_, I silently decided and resumed pacing while tapping his forearm against my left hand in time with each step I took. "Answer one question honestly and I'll let you reattach this puppy onto your scrawny little shoulder."

"Okay," he replied, uncertainty filling his voice, like he didn't think it would be that easy to get his arm back. But he didn't really have a choice and I wasn't going to just hand it over without getting a little info out of him first.

I stopped about a foot in front of him and leaned down so we were eye to eye. "What do you want with Bella?" Mike flinched back when I said her name.

If vampires could sweat, you could have wrung Mike out like a basketball player's socks after he played four quarters. "I want her for myself," he answered without hesitation in an eerily calm voice.

I scoffed, but I totally believed him too. "What makes you think that you're good enough for her?" I stood up, but maintained eye contact with him during my ascent.

"She would have totally been into me if Edward wasn't a vampire. He used his mojo on her so she'd fall for him instead of me."

Since Mike seemed to have a case of verbal diarrhea, I figured I might as well play good cop and get as much information out of him as possible. Charlie would be so proud. "But you had your chance when she first came to Forks."

"She was too shy and I didn't want to push her," he replied simply.

"That sounds like a smart way to play it," I confirmed. "Why did you make a move on her now? You knew that Bella and Edward are an item."

Mike was so forthcoming with his word vomit that he didn't even pause to think about his answers. "But I'm a vampire now too, so I figured that she'd choose me now."

I was amazed by how naïve and arrogant his rationalizations were. It made me feel a bit sorry for the disturbed little guy. "Here you go," I said as I tossed his arm into his lap. "Don't even think about trying your weird glowy hand on me."

"Thanks, man." Mike silently went to work reattaching his unfortunate arm. And he appeared to be a pro at putting his body parts back in place. He didn't even ask how to do it or for help or anything. After a few moments, he stretched his arm from side to side and up and down, no doubt making sure that he had full use of it.

"Well aren't we an expert limb-reattacher."

Mike actually laughed. "You've never done Victoria. This is a necessary skill after a round with her."

Freaky. "Now that you're not an amputee and that's TMI, let's get down to some serious business." I pushed the sleeves of my shirt up my forearms and took a firm stance. "What's Victoria's agenda?"

"You would have to ask me about that bitch," he said. Mike stopped swinging his arm back and forth and looked me straight in the eye. "She hasn't told me jack shit."

"So you don't know why she's sticking around Forks?" Call me crazy, but I was starting to believe what he was saying. To me, none of his body language screamed out "I'm a liar.".

"I have no clue." He was unblinking and as still as a marble statue, no tell-tale fidgeting.

"Then why'd she make you drink the kool aid and join her side?" Victoria had to be up to something. Why else would she stick around a tiny town where her hunting activities would stick out like a wolf in sheep's clothing to the Volturi? They would know a vampire was the source of all this inconspicuous murder, even when the fine denizens of Forks would just see a rogue animal or crazed serial killer prowling their quiet streets.

Mike shrugged again and smirked. "I don't think that she was the one to turn me. I'm pretty sure that it was the black dude that did the deed."

"Okay. This brings me back to the obvious question that needs to be answered. Why _you_? Why _here_ and why _now_?"

I scrutinized the newborns eyes for signs of hunger while he pondered my questions. Only a thin ring of crimson surrounded each pupil. I looked forward to things getting a little physical around here once the coloring disappeared. And hopefully a bit vicious since I was itching for a good altercation. Edward can't have all of the fun around here, can he?

I took a step towards Mike, trying to physically intimidate him into answering my questions. Instead of shrinking in terror, he jumped to his feet and quickly closed the distance between us. As he stood toe to toe with me, he angrily stared up at my eyes. Any minute trace of red was finally replaced by bottomless black as his angry orbs blazed back at me. "I told you that I know nothing!" he growled out through clenched teeth.

"No need to get so worked up there, Sparky," I commented, but didn't back away. "So you're not important enough to know what's what."

Mike's sneer turned into blind hatred as he lunged at me. But he made a typical newbie mistake and went for my upper body. I easily ducked under him and slammed him into a wall lined with heavy duty shelving and wood crates. Some of the boxes crumpled, shards of pottery spilling out the gaping holes in the sides. _Shit,_ _Esme's gonna kill me for breaking some of her antique vases._

This newborn was a very inexperienced fighter and I easily put him in a headlock. As I pulled him away from the boxed carnage, I squeezed tightly around his neck with my bicep. "Are you ready to play nice yet? I think I've proven who will win this fight."

"Yeah," he gurgled. The words weren't forming fully since I applied even more pressure to his neck, making it hard for Mike to speak.

"Are you ready to answer my questions?" I growled fiercely, just to emphasize who was the bigger and more dominant vampire.

He nodded weakly as I loosened my strangle hold just enough so he could answer. But only choking coughs escaped Mike's pie hole, not words.

Without warning, I let go of his neck and slammed him to the floor. "Why were you turned?" I shouted.

As he rubbed his neck seeking out any cracks in his skin, he finally gave me an answer that I could work with. "Laurent turned me to be Victoria's new mate. I overheard them talking while I was paralyzed with the burning. It sounded like she's been wallowing since her boyfriend's not around anymore."

"But you don't know what happened to him, do ya?" I asked as I loomed over him, prepared to stomp him into oblivion.

"I figured the guy got sick of her shit and dumped her ass," Mike said quickly. He wisely stayed motionless on the floor of the basement.

"Oh, how simple you are, little man." I leaned down so my face was a foot away from his. "James decided that he wanted Bella for himself too."

Mike flinched but made no move to put distance between us. "So what happened to him?" he asked weakly, fear making his voice crack.

"We ripped him apart and burned the pieces."

"What does that mean?" he asked quietly while he nervously scooted back across the floor. "I thought we're unkillable."

I closed the distance between us once more. Mike's retreat halted once his back hit the cement wall. "It means that he's dead. For good."

**EPOV**

"I'll shower and meet you in my room in a few." Bella seemed much calmer on the surface than I was at the moment. It was bad enough that her blood was forever calling my name, tempting me just by flowing through her beautiful veins. But I started to think that the option of imbibing in her delicious vintage would only lead to bad things.

Bella's blood really was like a drug to me. Not unlike heroin, just one dose had me relaxed both physically and morally. If I wasn't under the influence of her nectar, I never would have taken things so far. I wouldn't have been so careless with my venom tainted mouth. Really, what option was I left with once my poison soaked through her skin and slowly threatened to take her away from me? As each mouthful of clean blood I pulled from Bella's delicate skin passed through my lips and down my throat, all rational thought fled my mind. Hunger and lust were all I could see.

And now if it wasn't bad enough that we were caught practically in flagrante by her father, but in our mutual bliss and sudden panic, the crimson hue now locked in my eyes wasn't on either of our minds as we cowered together in Bella's bathroom while her father suddenly came home with unexpected guests in tow.

I dejectedly returned to the scene of our crimes. Slumping on the wood floor, I leaned against the wall under her bedroom window. The irony didn't escape me that this was the window where I made my entrance every night to be with her. As I contemplated running out of here so quickly that no one would even have a chance of seeing me, I knew that I couldn't run away from the issues at hand. And it really wouldn't be fair for me to leave Bella to deal with her father all alone.

All I could do was wait. Wait as Bella washed away any evidence of the sin we had committed. Wait as Charlie got rid of Renee and the Blacks by telling them to go on to the restaurant ahead of him and Bella. "It was nothing to worry about," he told them, "Bella just wasn't ready to go yet." Wait through the excruciatingly angry phone call Charlie made to my father, demanding Carlisle come over right away.

And I didn't even want to ponder how I had fallen asleep so suddenly and stayed unconscious for hours next to Bella. I was supposed to protect her, but how was I to do that if I was unconscious and unaware? Thoughts spun through my head faster and faster, until I found myself regretting and rethinking everything single thing that I've done in the last forty eight hours.

Bella tiptoed into her room. A pale yellow towel was the only thing covering the intimate parts of her. After I briefly glanced up to see her smiling at me, I couldn't bear to force myself to return it. Instead, I buried my head in my arms, not wanting to see anything at all.

The sliding of drawers in and out interrupted the familiar signature of Bella. Her heartbeat and light breathing were the only things to safely focus on as she got dressed. Before I knew it, an overly warm hand touched the back of my head, fingers running soothingly through my hair while her clean scent enveloped me completely.

"Edward," she whispered. "Look at me."

But I couldn't bear to look up at her face. "Just leave me alone."

Bella sighed as she sat down next to me, her hip resting lightly against mine. "It's all going to be okay. Alice would have warned us if something majorly wrong was going to happen, right?"

"I don't think so," I answered quietly, defeat filling my voice. "Alice's vision, the one where it cut to black abruptly? It just happened."

"Oh," she whispered. "Because Jacob showed up, right?"

I nodded gravely.

"Do you regret what we did, Edward?"

All of the ways that I could answer her question honestly flashed through my mind. But none of my words would please Bella right now, so I kept my mouth firmly shut.

She ignored my silence and continued speaking nervously. "Because I don't regret a single thing. This is the way it's meant to be between us." She cupped my cheek with her small hand before lifting my chin so my eyes met her gaze. "You didn't hurt me, or break me, or kill me. It was perfect."

She waited for me to say something expectantly. But only dark thoughts swarmed my brain. The fact that she was overjoyed about our previous actions totally escaped my notice.

"Of course it was perfect. Except for the part where we're not married and now you're going to hell for sure."

Bella gasped, her mouth left hanging slightly open. "No one really believes that anymore, Edward."

"Yeah, well I still do. And do you know what else?" I was on a roll and the bile was spewing forth of its own accord now. "It was especially perfect when I carelessly let my venom invade your body. _And_ when I turned your headboard into splinters."

Bella's brow crinkled in discomfort and I had to look away, knowing that I was the source of her pain and not being able to stop myself.

"Anything else?" she spat.

"And of course don't forget my fucking red eyes that scream 'Hey, I basically just ate your daughter.' What do you think about that?" My voice had grown louder and I knew I sounded crazed. But I continued my rant anyway. "I'm sure that's what any father wants for his daughter."

My poor, sweet Bella's expression quickly went from shock to anger faster than I could have run out of here. "Fine. If that's how you feel about everything, maybe this is all a big mistake."

I instantly regretted ruining this big step in our relationship with all of my regrets when I saw the tears well up in her eyes. "Bella, I'm sorry. I didn't mean any of it."

"No, no, Edward. You can't take it back. I'd like for you to not talk for a while." She hugged her knees to her chest and lowered her head, mimicking my pose.

After a few minutes of silence, the dual slamming of car doors signaled my father's and Alice's arrival.

"I guess we should wait here until Charlie wants us to come downstairs," Bella said flatly to the floor. Even though I spoiler her good mood, she didn't leave my side.

A few seconds after Charlie opened the front door, my sister appeared in the bedroom's doorway. "Hey, guys," she said cautiously while she took in the mangled headboard and the sour expressions on our faces.

When we both just looked up at her silently, her brow creased with worry. "Are you two okay?"

"I was fine, Alice," Bella replied. I immediately looked back down at the floor, but I felt Bella's eyes boring into me. "Very happy and completely unharmed, thank you very much," she added towards my head.

An uncomfortable silence followed before the clanking of metal on metal got the best of my curiosity. While Alice opened a small toolbox on the tangled mess of an unmade bed, Bella had already risen to her feet and was waiting with her hand extended to me.

I ignored Bella's outstretched invitation and questioned my sister instead. "What are you doing with tools?" Alice had never been the handy type. That was always Emmett and Rosalie's department.

She continued to dig through the cluttered contents of the emergency toolbox that was usually stowed in Emmett's Jeep. "I'm going to get rid of some, ah, debris while you two talk to Charlie and Carlisle." She crouched down next to the wall and started inspecting the broken remains of Bella's headboard.

Bella impatiently began to tap her foot. "It's better if we show a united front downstairs." She waited with a small, nervous smile on her face. God help me if she started to unconsciously bite her lower lip. That got me _every_ time and she was so very mad at me.

I finally accepted her hand and jumped to my feet. Bella led me down the stairs slowly. The angry aura oozing off of Charlie let both of us know immediately that they were in the dining room. I had the feeling that in the Swan home, the dining room was the equivalent of the library in my house. Damn.

I laced my fingers through Bella's while we waited just outside the wide entryway to the room of my judgment. She leaned in to whisper in my ear and I breathed in her sweet scent deeply. "Are you ready?" she asked before placing a lingering open mouth kiss on my cheek, her touch making my exhalation ragged while her free hand grasped my waist while she lingered close to my side awaiting my response.

Nodding my affirmation since I was unable to speak after such a bold and unexpected move from an angry Bella, we walked in with our heads held high as if it were any other day. As if I hadn't just defiled the Chief of Police's daughter in more ways than one. And in his own damn house, no less. Charlie's angry stare followed me as I sat down next to Bella at the shiny wood table, his mouth drawn into a tight, thin line. Carlisle mentally greeted me like this situation was no big deal. _Hello, Edward._

"Hey, Dad. Hi, Carlisle." Her tone was normal and happy, carefree. I had to force my eyes to stay open. The need to slam them shut was so overwhelmingly strong, like I was going to be physically ill if I didn't blot out the scene before me. Which was crazy, I haven't felt like this since I had been human. God help me if this was another side effect from Mike's ability. I just knew I was being punished.

"I know you're both eighteen and all that," Charlie began, speaking to Bella. "And I know that this kind of _thing_ is going to happen, whether I want it to or not." Carlisle nodded along, agreeing with Charlie. I knew that he was on our side. _She's your mate, Edward. It's only natural for you to be together finally._

"Now Carlisle here tells me that it's, ah," her Dad continued. In his head the fuzzy thoughts coalesced into a loudly broadcasted message. _Thank God the bastard can't knock up my innocent daughter. Or I'd have to find a way to chop off those stone nuts of his. _I found myself covering myself and crossing my legs. Why did Charlie's thoughts have to be clear as a bell at that moment?

Bella shifted uncomfortably in her seat but didn't let her gaze on her father waver while he tried to continue. "Not possible for vampires to, ah, damn it." Charlie took his gun out of its holster and sat it on the table. "Shit," he muttered under his breath.

Carlisle took over for Charlie's apparent lack of words. "Vampires can't reproduce, so birth control isn't something that needs to be addressed."

Alice's voice called out from upstairs. "But, wait. I've seen something that suggests otherwise." A large thud echoed throughout the house, accompanied by high pitched curses as Alice tried to straighten up her own mess in Bella's bedroom from her near miss with the headboard and a window.

"What did she say?" Charlie asked before Carlisle assured him it was nothing.

"Shut up, Alice," I yelled. There was no damn way that we were going to get into her vision of the apparently possible demon spawn that slaughters the town right now.

Bella glared at me while Carlisle mentally wondered what Alice had seen. He made a note to himself to ask her about it later since it was obviously a sore subject to me. Charlie seemed oblivious to my rude behavior towards my sister.

Bella's father leaned forward menacingly and waved a finger towards my face. "I can deal with the… other, stuff. That's really just normal human crap. But this red eyes bullshit? No way is that going down."

"Charlie," Carlisle said evenly. "Maybe we should let the kids explain before we judge."

"If it was so right, why don't all of you do this?" he asked pointedly. But Carlisle didn't take the bait. And I didn't really know how my father felt about this situation because he masked his thoughts, mentally running through his notes on a medical case from the hospital. Something about a foreign object stuck where it doesn't belong. That was just plain messed up. When I tried to get Carlisle's attention, he just looked the other way. He knew what he was doing.

"Dad," Bella pleaded.

"I won't have you wind up on the coroner's slab like those other women."

"It's not like that. Edward's not like the others," she said, her voice quivering with emotion.

I finally found my voice. "It really is different in this situation, Chief Swan." The glare of death that I received for speaking up had me shrinking slightly back in my chair. You didn't have to tell me twice that Bella was our only hope in making Charlie understand in this situation.

"I love you, Dad," she began. "And every night, I cook dinner for you. And sometimes breakfast, right?" Bella waited for him to agree. "I do these things because I want to take care of you, to nourish you."

Bella grabbed my hand under the table and smiled when she quickly turned to look at me. "I love Edward. And I want to take care of him too, just like I take care of you."

Carlisle nodded at Bella's reasoning and mentally agreed with her. _Bella makes some really good points, son._

But Charlie still looked skeptical. "But you aren't in danger of massive blood loss when you make dinner for me."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that, Dad," she said. "I almost sliced a huge part of one of my fingers off a few months ago chopping vegetables for your stew."

I suppressed the low growl that built in my chest at the mere suggestion of Bella injuring herself. But the burning scorched deep inside my throat at the thought of all of that delicious blood, wasted as it was spilled across a stark white counter top and contaminated with the bleach she surely used to clean it up.

"But there's no biting of your body involved in our dinners." Charlie was really grasping at straws.

Bella wasn't taking any of his jabs. "And there isn't with Edward either." A tense standoff of wills was taking off between father and daughter.

"I don't like it and I forbid it. End of discussion."

"Well," Carlisle interrupted and cleared his throat, all of us turning our attention to my patriarch. "I understand Bella's mother is in town?" Nice subtle way to change the subject.

"Yes. She got worried when her _only_ daughter hadn't returned her phone calls for over a month." He pointed a punishing look towards his daughter. "Apparently, Renee thought that she would just fly right up into the middle of this shit storm and stir up some trouble of her own making."

_Maybe this wasn't a good change of subject,_ Carlisle thought. I just raised my eyebrows and smirked at him in return. I was suddenly seized by a memory of Emmett poking a large grizzly bear with a stick to make the hunt more interesting. Charlie's definitely been poked a thousand too many times today with this entire discussion.

A loud crashing noise drew everyone's attention to the back of the house. "Sorry," Alice apologized loudly, after she had thrown Bella's mangled headboard out a second story window to the ground behind the house. Taking Bella and running away together was really starting to look like a good plan to me. Both sides of our families were a bit off, lately.

Charlie stood up, readying himself for his final verdict. "You two need to take a little bit of a break."

When Bella opened her mouth to protest, her father quickly put up his hand to silence her. "Your mother doesn't know that she's having dinner with a werewolf and his dad right now. And she sure as hell doesn't know that your boyfriend is a vampire and you were just kidnapped by one, so let's keep it that way. As long as she's here, spend your free time with your mother, not Edward."

"But what if she wants to meet the rest of Edward's family?"

Charlie just shook his head when Alice joined us in the dining room. "I think it's time to plan a party."

The four of us shouted "No" at the same towards Alice, who just stomped out of the house while she mumbled something about us being no fun.

"Let's go, son," Carlisle said as he walked out behind Alice. I followed quietly behind after giving Bella a small smile.

"I'll see you later?" she asked as I walked out the door, but I didn't have a chance to answer her before Charlie slammed the front door closed.

* * *

Okay, so I know this chapter was a bit weirder than the others. I'm naturally a little warped and I've been reading some really funny and well, kind of off fics lately. So it is completely possible that they have seeped into this chapter. And I know you might want to junk punch Edward since he's being a douche. But hopefully Emmett and his unique brand of interrogation more than made up for it?

Since I do have a blog for my writing and I posted on it a whopping twice, I think I'll put up a little post with links to the fics that I'm really enjoying right now. Then you can see why this chapter ended up a little strange. If you guys have any fic recs for me, fire away – I'm always looking for new stuff to waste time when I should be working, or sleeping.

http:/callofdutywidowfiction . /2011/05/whats-capturing-my-attention-in-fandom . html (just take out the spaces)


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Thank you to all of my readers, both old and new for following along on this trip. The road for Bella and Edward is about to get really twisted and bumpy, as it will for the rest of the families involved as well from here on out. Big thanks to my prereader Erikasbuddy and beta OnePushyFox, bang up job as usual ladies. **

* * *

**Chapter 19**

**BPOV**

"Dad." My words hung in the air, thick with tension and met only with silence. We had sat inches apart for some time, but the expanse of the vinyl front seat of his police cruiser felt like a chasm the size of the Grand Canyon.

"Can we please just talk about this?" My father's face showed no emotion, only the blinking of his weathered eyelids betrayed his stone cold act. Charlie looked years older, especially in the filtered light as we drove down the tree lined street. The murders of several young women in recent days, coupled with the revelations of the existence of vampires and werewolves so close to home had really taken their toll on him.

But it was this stubbornness, this ability to shut out the harsh realities of the world that made him such a great cop, which made these personal crises so much harder to process. My father wasn't dealing with any of the problems between us. He was placing the blame firmly on Edward, as if I was a perfectly innocent party in all of this. As if I wasn't the one who had asked Edward to drink from me, to make love to me, to stay with me when he wanted to leave Forks.

And now that I had a few moments to look back on the past months of my life, maybe I could gain a little perspective. But I didn't like things between my father and me to be so broken and tense.

"Edward isn't pressuring me into anything, you know." I began, sensing that Charlie wouldn't respond. But we were trapped together in the car for at least ten more minutes until we reached the restaurant to meet my mother and Billy and Jacob Black. He could shut off his emotions, but there was no way he could turn off his ears.

"The whole blood thing was my idea," I continued, talking to the windshield so I could at least wait for some kind of reaction out of the corner of my eye. "And I've been the one pushing for more on the um, intimacy side of things, not Edward."

More silence from my father's side of the car, only the quiet hum of the motor and the low rumble of the tires as they rolled along the pavement provided the background noise. I knew when I was being stonewalled. Salvation appeared in front of us as the eatery came into view. I barely waited for the wheels to stop turning before I jumped from the car and bounded purposefully towards the glass doors of the restaurant.

**EPOV**

"Bella's father will need time to adjust to the situation, son," Carlisle said.

I rested my forehead against the cold glass of the passenger side car door, closing my eyes to keep reality to a minimum. But Carlisle wasn't taking the hint that I really didn't want to talk about anything right now.

"He seemed pretty adamant about his feelings concerning our activities." The front door slamming in my face just added insult to injury.

"Well, you did do a number on that headboard," Alice said from the backseat.

My father turned right and sped towards our home. "You and Bella were finally intimate?" He asked, all eight cylinders of the engine roaring to life while he quietly inquired about our relationship.

I opened my eyes and finally turned to look at him. I sighed heavily before answering. "Yes." There were no secrets in this family. I'm sure Alice saw all of it in her head anyway.

"And you didn't exactly give Bella the impression that you had a good time, did you?" she accused.

"I really don't want to discuss this with either you." I closed my eyes and leaned on the door again, determined to block everyone out.

"Who do you think Bella's going to run to when she wants to talk about this?" Alice asked and pushed the back of the seat forward forcefully, jarring my head against the glass and cracking the window. "I'm her best friend and _I'd_ like to know the reasons you're being such a jerk. You finally lost your virginity and it was with your mate. You should be _ecstatic_!"

"Alice is right, Edward," Carlisle added as we turned off the highway into our driveway. As we slowly wound our way towards the house, he continued. "We'll discuss this more later. But now, we have to deal with Michael Newton. I'm afraid we might have left Emmett alone with him too long."

I turned to Alice. "I didn't think you'd actually keep him here."

"He was unconscious for several hours after you made him use his powers on himself. We figured it was safe enough with Jasper guarding him."

"But you left him with Emmett? I can't wait to hear how that went."

Alice jumped out of the car as soon as we came to a stop. I turned to my father as we waited for the garage door to ascend. "Speaking of which, there's a side effect of Mike's power. I fell asleep again while I was at Bella's house."

Carlisle regarded me with curiosity, before lifting his foot off of the brake pedal. "Interesting. And unheard of."

I knew from the scattering of thoughts as soon as Carlisle parked the Mercedes in our garage where that smug bastard Mike was located. When I first got my hands on Mike after we rescued Bella, I was so full of rage that I ripped one of his arms off. I would have done a lot more damage if Jasper hadn't stopped me. Now Mike was being held against his will in our home and after all of this, his thoughts were still full of her. Within seconds I stood in the doorway to his basement holding cell. Mike's eyes were black and ravenous, even before he caught the scent of Bella's blood on several different key areas of my anatomy. I watched with satisfaction as his gaze registered each place on my body where traces of her blood remained.

Mike slammed his lids tightly shut and inhaled deeply before a low growl rumbled deep in his chest. Just as he jumped forward to attack, Emmett slammed the newborn back down to the floor and held him there. Not hiding the smirk that spread across my lips, I was glad that I didn't have to verbalize just who Bella belonged to.

"Let's calm it down, boys," Carlisle said from behind me. "Edward, Emmett, I'll take it from here."

Since I'd accomplished what I'd set out to do, I turned and left with Emmett right behind me. "Bro, you reek of Bella. What have you been up to?" he asked while he trailed me upstairs to my room.

"I really don't feel like rehashing every little detail right now, Emmett." I entered the open doorway and kicked off my shoes before turning to my brother.

"I always knew the sex part was something you could handle." He stepped inside and finally saw my face. The intense scrutiny felt like it was burning a hole through my head while he stared with a large scowl on his face. "But I don't remember ever telling you to drink someone after sex like humans smoke a cigarette."

I sighed and ran a hand through my tangled hair. "You'll find out soon enough, anyway," I said. "It was Bella too."

Once Emmett closed his mouth and wiped the confused look off of his face, anger raced in as a replacement as he stalked towards me. "If you hurt her, I will maim you. And I do promise that."

"Calm down, Emmett. She's fine." _Physically, at least_. "As a matter of fact, she's the one who suggested it."

Emmett clucked his tongue and shook his head back and forth. "Little B and I need to have a little chat. Why isn't she here? Ah, man. You didn't act like you shouldn't have done it, did you?"

I just shrugged my shoulders.

"How you haven't completely fucked up this relationship is beyond me, Edward. Now I really have to talk to her."

I scoffed while I continued to gather a fresh set of clothes to wear after my shower. "Good luck getting through Charlie. He basically kicked me out after he found out about what happened today."

"Is that a challenge?" Emmett smiled from the empty entryway where the door hadn't been fixed yet. "I'm not the one having sex with his daughter and drinking her blood in _his _house."

"That probably does give you a certain advantage," I answered before I disappeared into my bathroom.

"But seriously," he called throughout the room. "Who's keeping an eye on Bella and Charlie right now?"

As I quickly disrobed and slumped under the powerful spray of the shower, exhaustion threatened to overtake me. "Jacob Black, I guess."

"Teen Wolf? You've got to be kidding me." As I heard his footsteps retreating, he was muttering to himself. "Now how the hell am I supposed to find them with wolf stench all over the place."

**BPOV**

"Have you really been so busy, Bella, that you couldn't even pick up the phone for a five minute conversation?"

Just the tone of my mother's voice had me gnashing my teeth together in irritation and my father shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Billy and Jacob stared at their plates and continued to eat in silence. I'm sure they had quickly tired of listening to Renee while waiting for Charlie and me to arrive for dinner.

"I've been busy with school, Mom," I answered as evenly as possible. "And I have replied to your emails. It's not like I've been completely ignoring you."

"You've been answering with just a few sentences." She patted my head like I was five years old. "I don't have any idea what's been going on in my baby girl's life anymore."

"There just isn't much to tell." Not that I could actually tell her anyway. Hey, Mom. I was kidnapped by a crazed ex-classmate who is now a vampire. Oh, and by the way, Edward and his entire family are vampires too. Charlie's in on the secret but we don't want you to know, so don't make a big deal out of it. I'm sure that would go over _real_ nicely.

"Charlie, is our daughter really this boring?" Renee leveled her stare at my father, who looked instantly uncomfortable being put on the spot like that.

"She goes to school. She comes home and studies with Edward. Add in some dinner. Repeat." Charlie stuffed a large piece of steak into his mouth to avoid answering any more questions and chased it with a large gulp of beer.

"Honestly, Mom. There just isn't much to tell. That's why I haven't called."

A frown momentarily passed across my mother's face, her tanned brow creasing slightly before relaxing. "Okay. But we'll talk more later about the whole Edward thing."

Just when things couldn't get more uncomfortable, Jacob added to the huge bowl of awkward. "How's Phil? Did he get signed with anyone yet?"

While my mother, Billy, and Jacob talked baseball and the status of the minor leagues these days, both my father and I zoned out of the conversation. While my thoughts wandered towards Edward and how I might have been forcing things with him lately, my father absently rubbed his temple while keeping his eyes closed.

I leaned over and spoke in a low voice, gently raising my concerns. "Dad, are you feeling alright?" No matter how mad I was at him right now, I still worried about him.

Charlie opened his eyes, blinking quickly as his vision adjusted to the fluorescent lighting in the restaurant. "Killer headache, Bells. I've got some pills in the car."

I tossed my napkin onto the table, pushing my chair back to stand up as I held out my hand towards him. "Give me the keys, I'll run out and get them for you."

"You're not done eating. I can get them." I watched silently while my father took out his wallet and left a stack of bills on the table before leaving through the double doors. Things seemed to soften between us as we ate, but maybe that was just because he didn't feel well and it took too much energy to stay mad at me.

"So how's your dad been," Renee said as she held my hand under the table. "He's not looking so good." My mother always wore her emotions on her sleeve and the concern she had for my father showed clearly in her eyes.

"He's been exhausted and overextended with some murders happening close to town." I returned to my food. "You know how small Forks is, Mom. He doesn't exactly have the police power to back up the kind of investigation that's probably needed to solve them."

"Your father always was a hard worker," she said before downing the last of her wine. "He loves this town so much," she added sadly, a faraway look in her eye.

This meal was really shaping up to be the awkward family dinner from hell. All we needed was a knock-down, drag-out fight or screaming match between all of us to make it complete. We already had a set of bitter, long divorced parents, a pissed-off-at-her-parents-and-boyfriend girl, and strange family friends who know too much to witness it all on deck. Thankfully they had picked a restaurant outside of town, which was good in case this got ugly. I didn't think my father could continue living if he couldn't eat at the diner in Forks at least twice a week.

"Excuse me," my mother said and disappeared towards the bar area and the restrooms. And then there were three.

Once Renee was out of earshot, Billy piped up to make this meal even more fantastically fun. "Don't you think you're causing enough problems by being involved with those leeches?"

"Excuse me," I spat out, trying not to choke on the bite of salad I had just forked into my mouth.

"It's not natural and you shouldn't be with him, especially not in that way."

My blood began to boil and I could feel the heat rush to my face. "But Jakey here is completely natural? Would you rather I date _him_ instead?"

Jacob stared at me with a bemused expression, his white teeth peeking out from behind his smiling lips. He obviously appeared to like the idea of the two of us dating.

Billy, on the other hand, looked completely disgusted. "There is no way you will touch my son. You are tainted."

"Ha!" I exclaimed, looking around for someone to rescue me from this farce of a conversation. But neither my father nor mother was in sight. I loudly pushed my chair back, the legs screeching loudly against the floor and garnering the attention of many diners. Holding my head high, I strode away from the table towards the bar, but at a quick glance my mother wasn't anywhere to be found. Billy was berating Jacob as I walked past the table on my way outside to find Charlie.

A shock of fiery red hair stopped me in my tracks when I rounded the corner of the restaurant's brick façade. Victoria had my father cornered against his car, but he stupidly had a useless shotgun pointed at her chest. I crept forward as quietly as I could, my shoes crunching loudly over the graveled parking lot with each gentle step that I took.

Victoria's evil red gaze snapped in my direction first, quickly followed by my father's. "Bella, get out of here," he yelled as he struggled to push her heavy weight off of him.

My first instinct was to run inside to get Jacob. I knew that as a wolf, he could help protect my father against this vampire threat and as a family friend, he would fiercely defend him. But when she grabbed my father's wrist and forced his arm to twist the barrel of the rifle towards his head, my instincts changed and I knew that I had to act immediately.

I ran towards the car with no idea of what I would do once I reached Charlie and Victoria. This finally realization hit me when I was several feet away from them and I skidded to a stop.

"Where is Michael? I know you've seen him, lawman." Victoria's voice was soft, disconnected, and completely insane. "I recognize your scent and your _daughter's_ from the woods where the Cullens hunted my Michael."

"We don't know where he is," I said from what I hoped was a safe distance of about ten feet away from them. "Let my father go, he has nothing to do with this."

The sides of Victoria's lips curl up in a crazed smile as she further twisted his wrist. My father groaned in agony as he dropped the rifle to the ground once bones began to snap and his knees gave out beneath him.

"Where is Michael? You have many more brittle pieces for me to crumble before I start on your precious girl over there."

As my father gasped for air, he finally bit out an answer. "The Cullens have him."

What? Why would Edward's family be keeping the newborn that kidnapped me?

"Where?" she asked quickly.

"I don't know." My father stayed on his knees, kept his head bowed low.

But Victoria didn't believe him. "I think you do know." In a blur, she picked up the rifle and pointed it at his head.

"Don't hurt him," I sobbed, feeling more helpless by the second as tears began to stream down my face. But I pushed forward, taking a few hesitant steps towards Victoria.

And she responded by throttling my father around his broken wrist and jerking him into the air. As Charlie dangled by his broken limb, she sneered in my direction.

"Are you ready to answer my questions now? I am growing tired and very hungry." The vampire leaned in towards my father's neck, breathing deeply as she nuzzled her way down the length towards his chest.

"He's at the Cullen's house," my father rasped quietly.

She dropped him to the ground in a heap, but didn't let go of his injured limb. "And now for the most important question. Depending on your answer and my feelings, I might not kill you." She looked towards me, stopping me dead in my tracks. I had been slowly creeping back towards the restaurant and our only chance at salvation. "Is Michael a captive there?"

My father grimaced and cradled his injured arm to his chest when she finally released him and stepped away from his battered body. "They could be having a fucking tea party for all I know," he bit out.

I couldn't stand to watch my father's agony anymore and I ran to his side, no matter how dangerous Victoria was. She could kill both of us in a single heartbeat, no matter what we tried to do. My father was too prideful to realize that we needed protection. Even the Cullens had underestimated Victoria's propensity for brazen acts in public spaces. Although this side parking lot was hidden from the highway by the restaurant and forest, people could stumble out of the building at any time and discover us.

As I knelt down next to my father and wrapped my arm around his shoulder to offer what little comfort I could, I glared up at her. "Now you know where he is. Get the hell away from us."

She leaned down close to my face. "Don't push me, bitch."

I closed my eyes and turned my head, bracing myself for whatever she was going to do to me when a voice interrupted her.

She pulled away as she snapped her teeth a mere inch away from my neck. "Victoria. Just kill them and be done with it. We must go," a deep voice called from a rear door of the building. Once the recognition sank in, I knew the voice belonged to Laurent. I just prayed that my mother was safe inside the restaurant with the other patrons and she didn't wander outside.

Low growls filled the air from the woods behind us. Three large wolves, two dark grey and one jet black, crept out of the darkness with teeth bared and snarling mouths aimed towards the rogue vampires. I held my breath as I huddled next to my father, hoping that these were our saviors.

Laurent and Victoria darted off in the opposite direction, the wolves hot on the heels of the nomads crossed the highway and disappeared into the thick forest.

Jacob appeared at our side a few seconds later and bent down to lift Charlie to his feet. My father had remained silent since revealing that Mike was at Edward's house, shock finally setting in. "We've got to get him to the hospital," Jacob said. "Is this his only injury?"

"Yeah," I answered. "Where's my mom? Did she see any of this? How did you know?"

As Jacob helped my father into the back seat of the police cruiser, he explained what had happened inside the restaurant. "When Renee didn't come back from the bathroom after my Dad drove you off with his stunning conversational skills, I smelled a vampire and went looking for your mom. Found her in the bar being chatted up by the leech with the dreads."

"Laurent." Great, Victoria used Laurent to distract us inside so she could get one of us alone. She wasn't as crazy as I thought. She was pretty crafty and smart.

"So I called my boys in for some backup. I assume they showed up since there is a significant lack of vampires out here?" He surveyed the forest around us quickly before returning his gaze to my face.

"You could say that. Thanks, Jake. You saved us."

My father groaned from the backseat while I dug in his coat pocket to get his keys.

"But I didn't get out here fast enough. Your father's broken." He smiled at me, waiting for me to laugh at his half-serious joke.

Even Jake couldn't make me smile at a time like this. "He'll survive. Maybe even have a better attitude for it."

Renee and Billy appeared around the corner, both hesitating at the edge of the paved sidewalk.

"You better get back to your dad. He doesn't really like me too much. Thanks for all of your help."

Jacob pulled me into a tight, friendly hug. He was so startlingly warm and all enveloping. I imagined this is what it would be like to be hugged by Emmett when he was still human. Suffocating and so brotherly.

"We'll follow you to the hospital. Don't want to take any chances leaving you three all alone again."

I blushed, thankful that someone was thinking straight through all of this drama. "I'll have someone meet us at the hospital."

"Sounds good. Bye, Bella," Jacob said as he released me and walked away from me and towards my mother and his father. "Nice to see you again, Renee."

As Renee walked towards us, the look of concern that spread across her face increased as fast as the pace of her steps did. "Oh my God, what happened?"

"I think my clumsiness is contagious. He tripped in a pothole in the parking lot back here," I answered for Charlie, who was still quiet in the back seat.

Renee poked her head around the corner of the car towards the back seat to get a better look. "Charlie? Are you okay?"

"Do I look okay?" The sarcastic tone to my dad's voice had returned, so we knew he was going to be just fine.

"Bella, his arm is broken," she tried to whisper to me.

"I know," I said quietly and motioned for her to get in the car. "He's just mad that I'm going to drive the cruiser," I added loudly for my father's benefit. I knew from experiencing Charlie being sick before that he didn't do well with the overt concern.

My mom laughed while Charlie scowled from the backseat and she slammed the door shut.

"I guess we better go to the hospital." My mother got in on the passenger side while I started the car and dialed my cell phone.

"Esme," I said when she answered. "I need a giant favor."

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**Victoria in _Push and Pull _is a bit more bold than in original canon, isn't she. Maybe now Charlie will realize that he can't control everyone that steps foot in his town? What do you think? Leave me a review, comment, what you think's going to happen next. Please pass this story on if you've enjoyed it. Until next time, thanks for reading!**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: A big thank you to my prereader and beta, Erikasbuddy and OnePushyFox, for their opinions, skills, and making me laugh when I read their comments. I tried to respond to the reviews from the previous chapter, but FF was being fail as usual so I'll catch you this time :)**

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**Chapter 20**

**Rosalie POV**

"Just drink the buck already," I growled at Mike through clenched teeth while shoving him towards Alice's fresh kill. Once Esme and Carlisle were called away by another emergency with the Swans, Alice and I were stuck taking the newborn out hunting. But getting him to feed on animals wasn't proving to be an easy task. "It's no skin off of my teeth if you starve. Just don't eat. See if I care."

He shook his head violently back and forth, like a defiant toddler on speed. I really didn't see why Jasper got to stay behind at home while we were stuck with the prisoner. I'd much rather protect the house any day than tramp through the muddy woods with someone who refused to cooperate. And who knew where Edward and my husband had disappeared to? I hadn't seen either of them in quite a while.

"It's not really that bad," Alice added in a gentle tone. "Just try it."

Mike's blood thirst was obviously overwhelming. Earlier, when I looked around Carlisle's shoulder into our basement storage room, Mike prowled the area like a caged tiger, just waiting for an opportunity to strike. But his movements weren't fluid like a normal vampire. They were twitchy and uneven like a sick, wounded animal.

His eyes should have been red from the last of his own blood lingering in his tissues. He certainly hadn't been a vampire very long. But his eyes were deep black when Carlisle released him to Alice and me with a stern warning. _Don't let him anywhere near humans. Who knows how much damage he will do? _We wouldn't dare bring him anywhere near civilization when he was in this state. It was hard enough to drag him thirty miles away from our house, just to find some decent sized prey.

Alice's unfocused gaze seemed to settle on a tree in front of us and I left her to the visions. At times like these, I was glad I wasn't crippled with an annoying ability. I just had my extraordinary beauty. Too bad that didn't make Mike any less irritating. "We're not bringing you humans to drink. This is your only option," I said firmly. "Or go mad from the thirst."

The newborn started to sway back and forth on his knees, his limbs twitching as his black gloved hands dug into the soft ground in front of him. The leather gloves were my idea. I hoped they would protect us from any danger posed by the newborn's hands, just in case he decided to defend himself.

"Mike, listen to me." Alice leaned in closer, trying to calm him with a friendly hand to the shoulder. "You must feed now. We have to leave very soon or you won't last the night."

I looked at Alice questioningly over his head, but Alice just quirked an eyebrow to keep me quiet when she met my eyes. I was pretty sure she wasn't telling the entire truth and wanted me to just go with it.

"I-, I will die?" he asked in a very shaky voice.

"Yes, I've seen it." She rubbed small circles over the top of his back, reassuring him that he was safe with us. Why bother making him feel safe? But I trusted Alice and I was sure her plan was a good one.

"Do you want to die, Mike?" I asked, becoming increasingly annoyed. "This situation is pretty simple. You're hungry. Alice brought you something to eat. You shut up and eat the damn thing already."

"Rosalie," Alice scolded.

"What?" I asked. "I can make this happen a lot faster, you know?"

"I want to live," Mike said quietly and looked up at Alice. The pasty newborn actually looked scared.

"Then prove it," she said while I forced his head down onto the kill.

**BPOV**

A flash of white darted in front of the police cruiser's headlights, throwing prisms of colored light in all directions. As I stomped on the brakes and the car screeched to a halt, a loud thump pounding the seat from behind me, a darker form just missed the bumper with a graceful leap as it bolted passed.

"What was that?" my mother screamed and clutched her chest, the seatbelt digging into her skin.

Before I could catch my breath, three large wolves raced past, clearly in pursuit of Victoria and Laurent. I knew exactly what we'd just seen, but there was no way I could tell my mother what was really going on. "You've been in the city too long. This is the wilderness, Mom."

Incoherent groaning came from the backseat as I realized that we didn't buckle my father's seatbelt in our hurry to get to the hospital. His body had slammed against the metal mesh barrier separating the front and back seats when I stopped the car so suddenly.

"Oh my God, Dad. Are you okay?" I turned around in my seat to find my father sprawled on his back, his broken arm slumped down onto the floorboard.

"Just get me to the damned hospital, Bella," he said through gritted teeth.

My mother tapped the dashboard. "What are you waiting for, baby girl? Get a move on!"

I took my foot off of the brake and pushed the gas down as far as I dared. The car took off quickly, the acceleration pushing us back into the seats as we swiftly picked up speed.

"You don't have to drive it like you stole it," my father grumbled from the back seat.

Renee hid a giggle behind one hand while she gripped the door with her other hand.

"Does your arm hurt a lot?" I asked, slowing down just enough to turn the car but still squealing tires around the corner onto the main highway back to Forks.

"More than you know."

"Bella had a broken leg, Charlie. I'm sure the pain must be similar."

I quickly shot my mother a look to shut her up before returning my attention to the road in front of me. Reminding Charlie of the time I "went home" to Phoenix when I was really running from James wasn't a good idea. Making my father even more furious when he was in pain wasn't such a great idea either.

"I know it hurts more than you'll admit. Don't tell me how to drive so I can get you to the hospital. Doctor Cullen is meeting us in the emergency room."

The pavement rolled underneath us at a much faster pace than I'd ever driven a car before. The dashed lane divider seemed to blur into one solid yellow line as I picked up speed along a lengthy straight stretch of road. I was beginning to see why the Cullens loved fast cars so much. This was kind of fun, except for the part where I was worried that my father was possibly bleeding internally or worse.

Both my mother and father were completely silent until we reached the emergency room. Either they finally got the hint that I didn't want to talk or my driving scared the words right out of their mouths. I preferred to think that they just got it and wanted to let me concentrate on driving.

Carlisle and Esme waited just outside of the emergency room doors as I eased the car to a stop. No squealing tires that time. I jumped out of the car quickly and ripped open the rear door to help my father out, but Carlisle beat me to it.

While Carlisle helped me get Charlie into a wheelchair, Esme opened my mother's car door for her, smiling warmly towards Renee. "Hello. I'm Esme, Edward's mother. It's so nice to finally meet you," she said while she held the door open for my mother.

The women exchanged pleasantries and began chatting like old friends as they entered the hospital and disappeared in the direction of Carlisle's office. At least it looked like they'd wait there while Charlie's injuries were treated.

Once Renee and Esme were out of earshot, Carlisle wanted to know what really happened. "Victoria," was all I muttered.

"That red-headed demon needs to be put down," my father said, wincing as the doctor felt along his lower arm.

"I'm afraid this is a compound fracture." Carlisle held my father's arm as still as he could as he helped him out of the car and walked him towards the entrance. "Let's get you to x-ray."

I turned to get back into the car, not wanting to block potential emergency traffic anymore. "Bella, Emmett and Edward are on their way here. Please call them so they know how serious the situation is," Carlisle said over his shoulder.

I eased the car through the parking lot and turned off the ignition after pulling into one of the few spots left in the visitor's lot. I never really noticed how busy this place was before. But then again, I never had to do the parking before either.

As soon as I had scrolled through my sparse contacts list to find Edward's number on my phone and hit send, a pale face appeared right next to me in the driver's side window of the police cruiser.

I screamed just like a little girl while I jumped in the seat and dropped the phone.

Emmett laughed heartily outside the door, gasping for breath at his own ability to almost scare me to death. "Little B," he said between fits of laughter. "You should have seen your face."

"Ha, ha," I deadpanned. "It would help if you weren't the size of a bear." I opened the door and stepped out, throwing off the unease from the shock of Emmett popping up unexpectedly. "It would also help if Victoria hadn't just attacked my father."

A deep, violent growl rumbled forth from low in Emmett's chest.

"Hang on there, big guy, before you go all murderous on me. I only want to explain what happened once." I bent over and searched for my cell on the floor of the car, finally locating it deep under the front seat.

When I put the phone to my ear, I was surprised to find that the call was connected with Edward on the other end. "Edward?"

"I heard everything and I'll be there in a minute. Don't move," he ordered. Air whipped by in the background, like he was running while talking before the line went dead.

I locked up the car and sat down on a cement curb to wait. "Why isn't Edward with you?" I asked Emmett. "Carlisle said you two were on your way here together."

"He had to hunt a bit more than I did before he could be presentable, if you know what I'm saying," Emmett replied. He stood a few feet away from me with his arms crossed, daring anything to approach us.

"Of course."

"You've had one hell of a day, haven't you?" He waggled his eyebrows at me, smiling broadly before resuming his tough guy stance.

"You could say that." I was suddenly very tired and I slouched forward to rest my head on my knees to wait for my boyfriend's arrival.

Before I knew it, Edward appeared in front of me and he pulled me up into his arms, hugging me tightly to him. "We can't be apart," he whispered. "Ever."

"She shook Charlie like a ragdoll." My eyes welled up with tears as I choked on my words. "She could have killed both of us."

"You won't be unprotected again," Edward said. He pressed a kiss to the top of my head and continued to cocoon me in his embrace.

"Not when Victoria is being so bold," Emmett interrupted. "That chick is not right in the head."

I pushed myself away from Edward and swiped at my eyes, ending my moment of weakness. "She seemed really focused on Mike and whether or not he was with your family willingly. Why bring him to your house, anyway? Why not somewhere else?"

The brothers briefly glanced at each other before Emmett began to speak. "It seemed like as good a place as any at the time?"

"That was where Alice saw to bring him since Mike was unconscious," Edward added.

"Wait. He was unconscious? Just like you were, Edward?" I asked while I started walking towards the hospital.

"Oh yeah," Emmett said excitedly. "Edward made Mikey use the glowy hands on himself. Knocked him clean out." He seemed to get a little too much excitement out of this. Edward had the decency to keep any exuberance he may harbor hidden.

"Let's just get inside. I'm worried about Charlie," I said while they followed behind me.

"Luckily it was a clean break, but it's going to take several weeks to heal." Carlisle explained the extent of my father's injuries to us. While I gazed at the x-ray images illuminated on the wall, the damages were broadcast loud and clear in shades of grey on the light box. Both of the bones above his wrist were snapped. We were really lucky that Victoria didn't do more to my father. Or me, for that matter.

Charlie's arm was encased from hand to shoulder in a white plaster cast. The expression on his face couldn't be more sour or depressing. "But I can still work, right?" my father asked Doctor Cullen.

"Since your non-dominant arm is the one that is broken, you'll be able to do paperwork. But I wouldn't recommend patrolling alone."

"We don't have enough officers. I have to be on the streets with my men."

Carlisle looked at Charlie thoughtfully. "Then I don't recommend you being anywhere alone, especially when considering who did this to you."

"Which means I'm back on duty, partner," Emmett said as he waltzed into the emergency room bay and whispered something to Carlisle.

Irritation quickly flashed over Charlie's face before calm replaced it. "That's exactly what it means. If that's the only way for me to keep working."

"Thanks, Dad," I said quietly. I held his free hand while Carlisle left to complete the discharge paperwork so we could get out of here.

"I'll just go round up everyone else so they're ready to go," Emmett said and walked out of the room just as quickly as he came in.

"I've always been able to protect this town, Bella," Charlie said quietly when we were as alone as we could get in an emergency room. I looked up at my father, but he continued to stare at the floor as he spoke. "And now I can't protect the one I person I love most in the world. How do you think that makes me feel?"

"I know how powerless you must feel." I put my head on my father's shoulder and held my breath while I tried to hold back the fear and helplessness that crept into my own being. "But you know that the Cullens love me like one of their own. They _will_ protect us. Don't be too proud to accept their help."

"Hmm," he replied and patted the back of my hand with his good one. "I don't think we have much choice anymore."

**Alice POV**

"There, there," I said while I patted Mike on the back. He finally appeared calm after finishing three stags. He rested calmly on his knees and his eyes were closed serenely. "All better now?"

He looked up at me with amber colored eyes and his lips curling into a slight smile. "The edge is gone."

Five minutes earlier, Rosalie disappeared deeper into the forest after her cell phone rang. Judging by the ringtone, I knew it was Carlisle calling. Once I heard the quiet crunching of dried leaves on the ground steadily approaching us, the visions started to flow quickly in front of my eyes. I knew we were going to let the newborn go now. But with several conditions, of course.

"Alice?" Rosalie said when she appeared in front of me, a quirk of one eyebrow completing her question.

I simply nodded my head to let her know that I was in on the plan and pushed it into motion. "Michael," I began. "Now that you've had a taste of what it's like to live like us, how do you feel?"

His brow knitted together as he thought hard about my question. "I don't feel as strong, but maybe that's because I was starving?"

Rosalie's job now was to play good cop too. It was integral that we both leave Mike on a high note to keep the peace between all of us, or at least to buy us a little time to prepare. "I bet that was it. One time, I didn't drink for several weeks and it took twice as long for me to recover."

The vampire rose to his full height, his clothing covered with dirt, blood, and other debris as he towered over us. As he tried to wipe away the disarray on himself, he finally noticed the mess around him on the forest floor. "What do you usually do with these?"

"Oh, don't worry about the deer. We'll take care of that," Rosalie offered. Being this helpful and sickeningly sweet had to be killing Rosalie's inner drama queen.

"Why are you being so nice now, Rosalie? You were such a bitch to me before."

"It was the only way to get you to eat," she answered simply.

Rosalie and Mike stared at each other for a few tense, awkward seconds. Apparently, good cop wasn't something that Rosalie was very good at.

"Now that you're better, Mike. You're free to go." I carefully watched the shock as my words registered in his eyes.

"Seriously?"

"Yes, but you need to make a few decisions first," Rosalie added. "Now you know that being a vampire has two distinct paths for living your life." She gestured towards the carcasses at his feet. "You need to choose one. And this decision will dictate where you must go in this new life of yours."

Mike scratched his head, the only place on his body that was still relatively clean. "So I have to pick animal or human blood."

"Yes," I answered. The hard part was next. I felt it coming and I took a deep breath to prepare myself. "And you have to go back to Victoria while you make your decision." I tried to push the visions aside while I spoke, but the plethora of possibilities flew past my eyes at a dizzying rate.

The newborn's face scrunched up in annoyance. "Why?"

I quickly thought over how much I was safely able to tell him. "She's a bit unstable right now and she's…missing you."

"So if I decide to take on the all animal diet, I can stick around Forks?" he asked, his face full of optimism.

I didn't have the heart to tell him that most of my visions were filled with his mangled corpse and a gleeful Edward lighting the pieces on fire. They only differed in location. "That's probably not such a good idea, with the whole Bella situation."

"Oh." His face fell.

Rosalie saw the opportunity to brighten his spirits. "But you haven't seen any other vampire women have you? We have some friends up in Alaska. Two words…smoking hot." Not to mention that the Denali clan would eat Mike alive.

"I never really thought about other vampire chicks," Mike said. "I figured they were all taken like you guys."

"All you have to do is travel a little. See the world, meet new people." As his expression brightened. I hoped he brought Victoria and Laurent with him on his potential jet setting ways.

"So do we have a deal?" Rosalie asked.

As we both looked at Mike expectantly, he seemed to think it over a little too long before answering. "Deal. I'll go back to Victoria while I make my decision."

And with those last words, he disappeared into the trees.

**Bella POV**

We sat in silence on the bed, hand in hand, waiting for anyone to come into our room in the ER. Like father, like daughter, we both furiously tapped one foot back and forth in nervous frustration. It was at least twenty minutes before Emmett reappeared in the space, nothing but dimples and a smirk peppering his face when he barged in without announcing his arrival. At least he was bearing gifts as he strolled in nonchalantly.

"Yo, what's up?" he asked while handing Charlie a familiar takeout cup of coffee. I was handed a can of Coca-Cola before Emmett plopped down in a chair across from the bed.

"What the hell is taking so long?" my dad barked out. "Did your father have to cut down the tree to make the paper he has to sign before I can leave?"

"I think we need to get you some happy pills while we're here, Chief." Emmett waited for a smile from either one of us, but there was no way I was going to encourage any of this. Not with the mood Charlie was in. "What can I say? It's a hospital. These things take time."

Stretching as I stood up, my legs stiff from sitting in one position too long, I paced back and forth to get the blood flowing again. "But where's everyone else?"

"The moms are in the cafeteria. You wouldn't believe how much those two can talk. They're already trading embarrassing stories about all of us. I got to hear all about how you used to eat paste in kindergarten, little B."

My cheeks flushed hot. I was going to kill my mother when we were alone. "Ha, ha. Where's Edward?"

"He's waiting in Carlisle's office."

I looked at my father, who continued to drink his coffee and look miserable. Emmett seemed to have a case of the nervous chatters himself. I wasn't sure how much more of this caged waiting I could take and still keep my sanity. "I'm going to find Edward and 'the moms' as you called them. Be right back."

As I darted out of the room and started down the sterile, brightly lit hallway towards Carlisle's office, Emmett was already talking baseball with Charlie. Hopefully that would brighten my father's mood a little. I hoped it served as a distraction from our troubles, at least for just a little while.

The door to Doctor Cullen's office was a deep burgundy. It matched the rest of the doors in this hallway, but was slightly ajar as I approached. My pulse quickened with the unknown before me and I paused in front of it. Which Edward was waiting behind the ordinary door for me? My loving, overprotective boyfriend or the one who seemed to regret being near me?

One step into the darkened room, a cool hand suddenly snaked around my waist and quickly pulled me further into the space, the door slamming shut behind me. The metallic clicking of a lock sounded a second later. Before I could catch my breath or my eyes could adjust to the dimness inside the room, lips crashed down over mine in a kiss so furious, so full of need that I couldn't even respond at first.

When I stiffened in response to the surprise attack, his lips retreated from mine and hovered over my ear. "My Bella," Edward whispered, before trailing lingering opened mouth kisses from my ear down my jaw line and continuing down my neck.

Heat pooled in my core and I wound my hand in the hair at the nape of his neck. "Edward," I gasped. He continued his exploration of my neck with his mouth while his hand found my sensitive nipple through my shirt. "Don't stop."

He returned his lips to mine. There was no restraint, no holding back. The barriers that he had set up before were completely dissolved now. I finally had all of Edward, whether he regretted it afterwards or not. He was all mine, every inch.

As I ran the palm of my hand along the hard planes of his stomach and along the hardness inside his pants, he tore his lips away from mine. "I'm sorry for how I acted earlier." Even in the dim glow of the security lighting, his eyes pierced into mine.

I started to unbutton his pants and met no resistance from Edward. "So you don't regret this?" I asked as my hand met his hard skin.

He sucked in a large breath when I ran my palm down his length. "Oh, God no." Of course any man would say that at a time like this.

"What about this?" I asked before dropping to my knees. I took a tentative lick around the head before pulling a few inches into my mouth.

"Bella, you don't need to," Edward said before trailing off when I started to pull more of his length into my mouth. It didn't take long to figure out what combination of licks and sucks did him in, his hands flying to my head and tangling in my hair.

"Bella," he growled and held tightly to my head while he thankfully held still and let me work. "Oh God," was all the warning that I got before he finished inside of me. And it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Since his seminal venom didn't affect me after our lovemaking earlier in the day, I wasn't worried about this type of exposure. Surely Edward would have warned me if I was at risk?

Once his labored breathing slowed, he pulled me to his chest, hugging me tightly. "I love you, Bella. Nothing will change that."

"I love you too," I rasped into his chest. "But you won't always be around to protect me. Or Charlie. And tonight just proves how vulnerable we are."

Edward pulled away and tucked himself back in, righting and straightening his clothing as he went. "I know, that's why you'll never be alone anymore."

I sighed in frustration. "But what kind of life is that? Always looking over my shoulder. Never getting any solitude?"

Edward grabbed my shoulder and held my chin so I had to look at him. "It's what will keep you safe and alive."

"I can protect myself. And Charlie."

"Bella, there's no way," he said before I cut him off.

"Change me."

Edward opened his mouth to respond, but a knock on the door interrupted him. "Stop fooling around in there, you two," Emmett said through the door. "We've got to go."

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**Do you think it was a big mistake to let Mike go? What about Bella's new tactic to persuade Edward to change her? At least Charlie wasn't so much of a douche this time around. If you enjoy this little story, please review and pass it on. Until next time...**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Sorry for the long time between updates, I'm finding that possible carpal tunnel syndrome is a real bitch. The usual thanks to my prereader and beta, Erikasbuddy and OnePushyFox. **

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**Chapter 21**

**EPOV**

I was so grateful that Emmett interrupted us at that very moment. With Bella putting on the pressure to be changed into one of us, he couldn't have picked a better time to show up. After what just happened between us, I was more conflicted than ever. While the act itself was pleasant beyond words, I couldn't help but wonder if this intimate encounter was premeditated just to coerce me into agreeing to steal Bella's soul and damn her into becoming a monster for eternity. But then again, I was the one who had grabbed my beautiful mate and initiated the tryst, didn't I?

Reaching around my waist, Bella unlocked the door while maintaining constant eye contact. Her confident stare was quite unsettling. She wasn't going to let this conversation be swept under the proverbial rug. I stepped away from the door and she swung it open wide, revealing Emmett waiting anxiously on the other side of the hallway.

"Holy shit, guys. I was just joking about the fooling around." He laughed as he took in our disheveled appearances and shook his head back and forth in disbelief. _It seems that you guys have opened up the flood gates now, dude. And in Daddy's office, no less. Tsk-tsk._

Surprisingly, Bella's cheeks didn't flush that tantalizing shade of crimson I found so irresistible. "Don't be crude, Emmett," she said as she pushed past him and walked down the hallway with purpose in her steps.

Huffing loudly, he shot me an irritated glare. "Seriously, Edward. What the hell do you keep doing to piss her off afterwards? She should be happy."

I locked the door to Carlisle's office behind me and started off in pursuit of my girlfriend. "Nothing. She just brought up being able to protect herself and Charlie by being one of us, officially."

Emmett took two long strides and was at my side a moment later. "And I take it you're still against it?"

"I'd rather not discuss this here." We rounded the corner and entered a busy hallway, our loved ones coming into view by the front door.

He lowered his voice and ducked his head closer to my level. "All I have to say is that denying her this one simple request is probably the dumbest mistake you'll ever make."

"Your opinion is noted," I answered and melted into the small crowd of family as we exited the hospital.

Even though I really wanted to run home, to do so would raise questions from Bella's mother. And I didn't want to further exacerbate Charlie's tenuous hold on his anger management skills either, so I decided to ride with Carlisle and Esme in the Mercedes. I also hoped that Bella's temper would cool as she traveled with Emmett and her parents in the patrol car. I wasn't sure where we were going or what was on the agenda, but I was along for the ride anyway. And that really summed up my life in that moment. I was just along for the ride while life pulled me where it would.

**Mike POV**

"Strip," Victoria commanded. Gaping at her with a puzzled look on my face wasn't the answer she was expecting. A powerful kick to my stomach from a mud-caked boot blasted me through the outer wall of the log cabin and into the woods. The thick trunk of a tree splintered and creaked as it absorbed the impact of my body, stopping my backwards momentum.

"What the hell was that for?" I growled, tired of being the punching bag for every vampire in Forks.

A streak of red blurred from the cabin and hovered menacingly over me as I lay on the dirty forest floor. Not that it really mattered. I was already covered with leaves, twigs, mud, and blood from my feeding expedition with Rosalie and Alice. How far I'd come from my days as an all American boy.

"You dare come back here like this?" She ripped the blood soaked sleeve of my shirt away, lifting it up to her nose and inhaling deeply. She gagged and the sight made me wonder if vampires can puke? It seemed like most of the unpleasant human bodily functions were erased when you were turned, so maybe that one disappeared too? But maybe not if Victoria still gagged? She dropped my arm and the angry look on her face brought me back to reality.

Quickly rolling to the side and jumping up, I sidestepped further away from the psycho woman in front of me. "What do you mean like this? Like what?"

"You smell of dead animals and your eyes tell the whole story." Victoria looked me up and down, disgust twisting her face. "You're leaving me to become one of them."

This display of vulnerability was something I never expected out of this heartless bitch. "No, baby. They kidnapped me and forced me to drink animals."

"So you weren't there willingly?" she asked while she chewed her lip, looking scary and surprisingly delicate at the same time. And I wasn't going to fall for it and took another step back.

"I'm back here with you, right?" I offered her my hand and tried not to cringe when she laced her claws through mine. We walked towards the cabin and passed the door, entering through gaping hole in the side of the wall.

"What did they want with you?" she asked, helping me out of my dirty clothes. That's when she noticed the pale white marks outlining where I had reattached my arm that Edward had ripped off, she traced over the scar with her finger. "They hurt you," she said, her voice trailing off.

I grabbed her hand roughly and pulled it away. I didn't believe for one second that she gave a rat's ass if they hurt me or not. She just believed it was her job to hand out the pain. "They just stuck me in a room with a guard." I had so many scars on my once perfect body from Victoria and her violent ways, how could she tell which ones weren't from her viciousness?

"But they must pay," she hissed impatiently while she quickly disrobed. "And I've already enacted some revenge of my own. Starting with the human girl's father."

Victoria was even more devious than I thought if she was going after Bella's family instead of her directly. "You killed the Chief of Police?" I asked, trying to keep my voice cool.

She grabbed my cock and roughly pulled me close to her now naked body. "Just a few broken pieces, no killing. Those stupid dogs chased Laurent and me away before I could do any real damage and move on to the girl." She kissed and nipped at my neck before nuzzling in closer.

My mouth went dry at the thought of Victoria harming Bella. Her grip tightened and began to slide along my length. My body betrayed my mind by reacting to the movement. I was still a guy, even after all that had happened to me recently.

"Maybe we should focus on taking out the wolves," I said while I turned my attention to her body. It was better to act like I was completely here and not faking this. "Or better yet, let's get out of town completely."

Victoria's hand stilled and a sharp pain sliced into my neck as she bit down. "I am not done here." The crazy was back and it was squeezing the life out of my dick at that moment.

"I was just thinking we could travel. I've never been out of state," I yelped, trying to pry her hand off of me but having no luck. "We'll stay if you want."

She released her death grip and resumed her movements. "I knew you'd see it my way."

This situation was certainly making the decision on choosing a diet a little easier. Did drinking human blood make all vampire women nuts? Because I knew that I certainly couldn't live like this.

**Alice POV**

When the two vehicle caravan left the hospital, the first stop was Bella's house. Carlisle gave Charlie a heavy duty pain killer and he was now resting comfortably in his own bed with Renee keeping an eye on things inside the house. She didn't know that two wolves kept watch on the house from the nearby woods, just in case Victoria decided to try anything.

Carlisle had agreed to allow the wolves a temporary addendum to the treaty so they could patrol Charlie's property for the night, even though it was technically Cullen territory. Bella made the phone call to Jacob Black to arrange everything while Charlie slept and my parents entertained Renee. While Edward was not thrilled with the thought of unpredictable and often violent wolves being so close to Bella and her parents, we weren't left with much choice. It was made clear that under no circumstances were the wolves allowed inside the house. And the plan was for Emmett to be stationed inside when Bella went home later tonight.

All hell seemed to breaking loose around us, with Bella and her family being in the center of the fire. With the attack on her father and her mother showing up unannounced in Forks, we knew it was important to keep Renee from learning the truth about us. We also wanted to keep her out of harm's way. With a little white lie about a joint science project that Bella and I needed to finish told to Renee, Bella was out of the house so we could discuss strategy. Renee and Charlie were left under the hopefully watchful eye of the wolves.

My family and Bella assembled in the library of our home tucked deep in the forest. As the members of my clan sat on any available surface, I made sure that Bella was comfortable on the loveseat next to Edward before settling in on the floor next to her feet.

"This situation with Victoria and Michael is serious," Carlisle began from his position of power behind his desk. "She is especially dangerous now and is obviously toying with us by attacking Bella's family."

I reached up and patted her leg reassuringly and Bella covered my hand with her own, squeezing mine back tightly. "It could have been worse, but luckily Jacob Black was able to call in other wolves to protect us."

Esme leaned forward in the chair she had pulled close to Carlisle's side. "Did Victoria say what she wants, Bella?"

"She knew Mike was gone and I think she's afraid he was here willingly."

Jasper stood with his back to us, staring out the window as he spoke. "Victoria blames us for taking James away from her. Now she's afraid the same thing is happening with Mike."

"But Mike doesn't just want to hunt Bella like James did," Rosalie added from the plush chair she sat in across from us. "Honestly, I don't see what the fuss is all about," she muttered under her breath too quietly for Bella to hear.

Emmett paced back and forth behind Rosalie's chair. Patience had never been his strong point. "So let's find her and finally put an end to this situation."

Edward stretched his legs out in front of him and leaned back into the love seat. "I tried to do that with Mike, but Jasper here stopped me before I could finish the job."

Jasper finally turned to face the inside of the room. "Hey, now. I was only doing what Alice said I needed to do."

"That's because you're whipped," Emmett barked. And it was on.

Jasper, Emmett, and Edward's voices crashed into one another, each one trying to make their point about why they did what they did. Bella responded by folding over and leaning her head in her lap, closing her eyes tightly and holding her ears. Esme, Rosalie, and I knew that there was no interrupting the boys when they got like this. But Carlisle always tried to break their disagreements up quickly; because otherwise they could argue for hours and get nowhere.

"Boys," Carlisle said and waited a few seconds before repeating it again, much louder this time. But they kept arguing. Finally able to not take any more, Bella got up and left the room, returning with their beloved PlayStation 3. As she waved it in the air and threatened to smash it into smithereens on the floor, Emmett and Jasper quickly grew silent and snapped to attention. Even Edward instantly calmed down, his eyes nervously taking in the electronics in his girlfriend's hand as she waved it around in the air. We'd have to file away that technique for future disagreements.

"Thank you, Bella," Esme said as the boys returned to their respective corners and Bella roughly dumped the game console on the desk and sat back down next to Edward.

Unexpectedly, Edward yawned loudly and rubbed at his eyes. Bella leaned in close to his ear and whispered. "We better get you to bed before you pass out where you sit." Edward merely nodded and rose to his feet, pulling Bella with him. The couple walked out of the room, hand in hand, leaving us to wonder what was going on.

All eyes went to Carlisle, who filled everyone in on Edward's strange behavior. "A side effect of Mike's power. Once you've been rendered unconscious by his hands, it somehow forces the vampire into having a sleep pattern."

"But for how long?" Jasper asked, concern passing his face.

Carlisle shook his head. "I have no idea. I've never seen anything like this before. And I only learned of Edward's experience earlier this afternoon."

"Now this meeting can really start," I said, rising to my feet and crossing the room. I drew the newly installed black-out curtains closed.

"When did we get curtains?" Rosalie asked.

Esme answered. "Today. Alice asked that I put them up since we counted on having an eavesdropper tonight."

"If out there, Mike won't be able to see anything inside of here, but he will be able to hear everything," I said while passing out pads of paper and pens to everyone. "We only have about five minutes before Edward falls asleep and Mike shows up to watch Bella through the bedroom window.

Emmett's expression turned angry. "I told that little twerp to forget Bella or else."

Jasper interrupted before Emmett could finish his threat. "It's his interest in Bella that's going to buy us some time before Victoria comes unglued and attacks."

"So we're just going to let him sit outside, peeping-tom on Bella through the window?" A vision of Emmett bashing Mike into a tree repeatedly flashed before my eyes.

"Yes, we are. And don't you dare leave this house and break that tree using Mike as an axe." I sat down on the loveseat and motioned for Jasper to join me. "It's really important that Mike witnesses a normal night here for the next hour."

"Shouldn't Edward be here for this meeting?" Emmett asked.

Carlisle walked to the window, pushed back the heavy curtain and peered out. Satisfied that no one was outside yet, he turned back toward us and answered Emmett's question. "It's not physically possible for him to stay awake right now. Bella couldn't wake Edward up for several hours this morning."

"But shouldn't he be here when we discuss his new diet?" Rosalie's eyes whipped to her husband's face as he spoke. She was the only member of our family that didn't know about Edward's recent dabbles with Bella's human blood.

"What is going on? Everything is going to hell and why am I the last to know?" Rosalie closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"It's not what you think, Rosie. Calm down." Emmett rubbed her back.

Her princess meltdown would have to wait until later. "We just have to let things between Bella and Edward progress naturally, without any of our influence." The visions I'd had of the blood drinking were innocuous – just little sips for Edward here and there. Regardless of how our family viewed this type of activity, I didn't foresee any problem for them. "Somehow this situation between Edward and Bella gives Mike motivation to keep the peace. I don't know why, but it seems to be related."

"So what should we do, Carlisle?" Esme asked her husband.

Our patriarch looked at each of us one by one, making eye contact before he finally spoke. "We have to make Michael feel welcome."

Rosalie gasped. "Are we a halfway house for fucking wayward vampires now?"

"Right now, Mike is on the fence and he could go either way. If he goes to Victoria's side," I said as my eyes became unfocused. I couldn't finish my thought as my eyesight was flooded with a vision. The library before me morphed into a bustling and secure office. The Volturi were in Forks, occupying our home and using it as their new North American headquarters. The newest member of the Volturi Guard, Mike Newton, held a place of high honor at Aro's side. Only the members of my family with special gifts were allowed to live. Emmett, Rosalie, Esme, and even their old friend Carlisle were dismembered in front Edward, Jasper, Bella, and myself included. "What kind of special gift does Bella have?" I muttered to myself.

"Alice?" Carlisle asked, cocking his eyebrow in silent question.

"I think Mike would make a great addition to our family." I said cheerily, much more loudly than I usually speak. I scribbled on my pad of paper and held it up in the air so everyone could see it.

_Game on. He's outside._

**Mike POV**

"I just wish we could have a few weeks of peace." Bella spoke softly as she smoothed Edward's hair down, lazily pushing it back as he appeared to sleep beside her in a large bed. I wished that I was the one sleeping next to her in that expensive bed, wanting to be the vampire who she lovingly pressed herself up against and caressed.

"No danger or drama. No attempts to take me away from my family. Just day after day of uneventful school, each followed by long nights with you." She sighed lightly and I swore that I could almost feel her sweet breath against my skin, even though I was perched in a tree at least three hundred yards from the Cullen's house. Damn wind and overactive imagination packed inside this super-sensitive vampire skin.

"Is that too much to ask?" Bella pondered aloud, her voice quiet and tinged with sadness.

I didn't think that she was asking too much. In my crazed newborn state, I was approaching this all wrong. Kidnapping Bella? Why, that was a monumentally bad idea. I knew, afterwards of course, that it was really stupid on my part. All I really accomplished was making everyone suspicious of my motives—the Cullens, Victoria, and especially Bella.

The last thing I wanted was for Bella to be unhappy and anxious, sick with worry for the safety of her family. Add in Victoria's own twisted agenda, which was still for the most part unknown to me, and everything was so up in the air. My sudden, impulsive rendezvous with Bella had done nothing to bring us closer together. She didn't get a chance see how much better I was for her now that I was a vampire. If anything, I drove her and Cullen right into the sack. And I smelled every part of her all over Edward the moment he came home. But that brute Emmett held me back, or otherwise I would have wiped that smug expression off the bastard face.

Bella's whispers brought me out of my prize fighter fantasies, the good ones where _I_ was the one ripping Edward limb from limb. "Sleep well, my love. I need to get back to my mom and dad. I'll miss you."

I didn't want to watch as she lovingly stroked his cheek before placing a gentle kiss where her graceful fingers had just traveled, but I couldn't force myself to look away. I imagined what it would feel like to have her touch me with such love, such care. I knew that I had to be satisfied with just watching and waiting, or Alice would see my plans and they would try to stop me.

"Get home safe, Bella," I said and leapt out of the tree. Landing with a soft thud on the forest floor, I yawned. _Shit,_ I thought. I looked like the Sandman was going to catch up with me just like it he had Edward. I needed to get back to my parents' house and quickly. There was no way that I could let Victoria and Laurent know that I had an immense weakness right now. Not if I wanted to live to see forever with Bella.

**BPOV**

Just when I thought I'd experienced some of the most awkward situations of my life, this one topped it. There was nothing like sharing a bed with your mother, especially when you were eighteen and had lost your virginity in the same bed earlier in the day to your vampire boyfriend.

"This is fun," my mom said into the darkened room. "We haven't slept in the same bed like this since you were really little."

I flipped the covers off of one leg, trying to get a little relief from the stifling heat in my bedroom. I didn't realize until now how much I needed Edward's cool body to sleep comfortably. "Um, yeah…I guess."

"Things with you and Edward are pretty serious?" Her words hung in the air, waiting for an answer.

"He's the one," I answered simply.

Renee rolled over onto her side to face me. "I just want to make sure that you're doing what's best for you. Especially after what went on in here this morning." My mother giggled. I was glad that she thought this was funny while I was mortified.

Heat filled my cheeks at the mere mention of my deflowering. Damn my body's inability to stay cool, calm, and collected.

The corners of her mouth upturned slightly when she noticed my discomfort. "This isn't going to be the lecture on abstinence like I'm sure you got from your father, Bella."

I turned towards my mother and the long sleeve of my shirt rode up, exposing the scabs left from my kidnapping. I quickly pulled the fabric over my hands to hide the wounds from my mother, not wanting to worry her any further. I had already been a terrible daughter by not contacting her much lately and leaving her out of my life.

Renee reached out and stroked a fallen lock of hair away from my face. "I just don't want you to be faced with the same kind of decisions that I had to make when I was your age."

I weighed my words carefully before speaking. I didn't want to come off as arrogant or condescending. "We'll be careful, mom. You don't have to worry."

"What do you mean, you'll _be_ careful? Was today the first time? Please don't tell me we showed up and ruined your first time." Renee covered her face in embarrassment.

"Actually, yeah," I said. It was me who was embarrassed now. I was pretty sure my mother assumed Edward and I had been doing it all along. And if it had been up to just me, both of our virtues would have been extinct a long time ago.

"Oh, Bella. I'm so sorry. We must have ruined your time together." She seemed genuinely sorry for showing up unannounced. This was definitely not the typical response a mother would give when hearing about her daughter's sex life. But then again, Renee wasn't your usual, run of the mill mother.

"Don't worry, mom. You didn't interrupt anything. Dad just didn't know that Edward was here, that's all." I felt comfortable confessing this to Renee since she was being more friend than mother at the moment.

"What were you doing home, anyway? Shouldn't you have been at school?"

I rubbed absently at the itchy, healing wounds on one of my ankles with my foot, careful to keep the pajama pants I wore over the afflicted area. "I didn't feel well. So I took a sick day."

"Well, obviously you guys weren't too sick," she answered, a smile on her lips.

I giggled and returned her smile. "When are you going back to Florida?"

Her face grew serious. "My flight leaves at noon tomorrow. I could only get away for a few days."

My heart sunk in my chest as I finally realized that I missed my mother more than I let myself believe. "I'm sorry that I don't keep in better touch. I've just been busy with school and with…"

"Edward," she interrupted. "I get it."

"You do?" I asked.

"You're in love. Just make some time for your dear old mom every now and then, okay?"

"Deal," I answered. "Goodnight, mom. I love you."

"I love you too," she said and kissed my forehead before settling into Edward's side of the bed.

But sleep was hard to come by for me. While my mother softly snored beside me, I tried not to toss and turn as my body overheated in the flannel pajamas. I was used to sleeping in much less clothing. And knowing that Edward was watching over me and just having his cool body near always put me at peace. But he was all alone, asleep in his own bed right now. I smiled at the reversal of roles while I remembered how I was the one who watched over him as he slept into in the night. Before exhaustion mercifully swept over my body, dragging me into the blackness of sleep, my thoughts were of him.

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**Do you think Mike is up to no good and what diet will he choose? Will Bella get her wish for a little bit of peace and quiet? Let me know what you think in a review. Until next time... **


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: I want to thank my prereader and beta, Erikasbuddy and OnePushyFox, for their magic. And I'd also like to thank everyone who has this fic on alert, you make my day when you read my updates, whether you review or not. Although I do appreciate it when you drop me a note. Make sure you read the note at the bottom to see what other fics have been owning me lately.**

**Disclaimer: SM owns everything Twilight related. I just have a good time warping her reality. And forgetting to add a disclaimer.**

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**Chapter 22**

**Bella POV**

Life returned to normal at an amazingly fast pace. At first, a few days passed with nothing out of the ordinary happening. Edward, Alice, and I attended school, and while it felt like I hadn't been there in ages, sitting in a classroom and learning was cathartic. Alice said that we owed this time of peace to Mike Newton listening to my pleas for a reprieve while he watched me whisper to Edward sleeping in my arms. While I didn't know why the newborn would grant us a respite from the pain and suffering, I was grateful that he was able to keep Victoria and Laurent away.

The afternoons were filled with homework and snuggling with Edward on my new, larger bed. The old one just wasn't the same after our first time. It creaked and groaned every time one of us shifted around, making it hard for me to sleep. Alice had to throw away the headboard after Edward destroyed it anyway, so replacing it was the logical thing to do.

Edward, however, was out like a light every night since being zapped by Mike's special ability the night I was kidnapped. I had to make sure he didn't fall asleep with an arm on top of me or I'd be trapped for hours. Carlisle scoured every book and resource he could find, with no luck. Edward was special in an additional way and it was just another secret that we needed to keep.

Emmett initially stuck to my father like glue because I asked him to guard him with his life. Charlie wasn't happy about it, but with his broken arm and needing to work, he didn't have much choice. He actually grew to enjoy Emmett's company and looked forward to having him ride along in the patrol car while on duty. His demeanor and size were assets when dealing with a difficult traffic stop. Once the threat of attack from the nomads dissipated, Emmett continued to ride along while studying for the police exam. He had found what he wanted to do with his near future and being a cop in Forks was in the cards when you had an in with the Chief of Police.

Still the days sped by, quickly turning into months and soon it was May. Along the way, my broken and strained relationships with my father and Jasper had slowly mended. Charlie grudgingly started to trust me again, finally realizing that Edward and I were the real deal and in it for the long haul. He even stopped giving Edward such a hard time. But I think my father's love for Emmett had more to do with it than any fondness for Edward.

While watching how devoted and caring Jasper was towards keeping my father and me safe in the weeks when we were unsure of another attack by Victoria, I realized that he really wasn't a real threat to us. Our friendship was easy again, but I always made a point to avoid him if I had an open wound. I never wanted to flaunt the temptation under his nose, especially when Edward was able to openly indulge in that appetite. While we didn't openly discuss our arrangement, no one gave us a hard time about it either.

Edward drank from me regularly—once a week he got a special treat. With a little experimentation, we found that just the right amount made him calm enough so we could make love without too much forcefulness on his part. Nothing would get broken, I wouldn't get hurt, and we could both enjoy ourselves with no remorse on either of our parts afterwards. There were a few close calls where he drank too much and it was a battle of wills to make it through, but those instances were few and far between.

But we enjoyed each other and that's what mattered. We had a pretty normal relationship and went to the movies with Angela and Ben, spent time with his family and my father, and more importantly, copious amounts of time together alone. One of these stolen moments presented itself between our graduation ceremony and the party that Alice had planned at the Cullen house. And we decided to enjoy ourselves before the guests arrived.

"I want to taste you," he breathed in my ear while I picked through the rack of clothing in his large walk-in closet. His cool hands ran over my hips gently before his fingers gripped and pulled me back against his hard length.

I yelped in surprise, having not heard him come up behind me as I stood in my underwear trying to decide what to wear to the party. My side of the closet was well stocked by Alice and I'd long ago acquiesced to her insistence that I have my own wardrobe here. After all, this was basically my room too since I spent so much time here.

"Everyone's downstairs and my parents will be here soon." I'd long gotten over my embarrassment about the vampires being able to hear everything that went on in the house. All it took was one night of sleeping over with Edward when Charlie worked the night shift and hearing Alice and Jasper going at it like animals to cure me of that fear several months ago. Since then, I've heard the same thing happen with every other couple in the house, so it didn't bother either of us anymore.

"If your dad shows up, he'll be too busy enjoying the extensive buffet Esme prepared to even notice that you're not around." Edward unhooked my bra and slipped off the straps, discarding the fabric on the floor before reaching around to cup my breasts. "And our mothers haven't seen each other in a few months. They'll talk for hours."

"But," I started. All it took was one well-placed kiss behind my ear and a roll of my nipple with his nimble fingers and I was convinced. He knew exactly what buttons to push to get me started.

Sliding around in his arms, I slowly kissed along his jaw while I unbuttoned his jeans and pushed both his boxers and pants down his legs as far as I could. They fell to the ground and Edward stepped out, ripping his shirt over his head at the same time. A devilish smile played at my lips as I took in the magnificent sight before me, but I soon came to my senses and quickly took off my panties before he ripped them to shreds in his haste to get me completely naked. I'd lost count of how many pairs he'd ruined over the last months in impatience. I found it sexy when he tore them away from my body, but these were one of my favorite pairs and I didn't want to risk it.

"Come here," he growled in a low voice with a smile and a crook of his finger. I slowly walked towards him, teasing him with my pace and exaggerated swing of my hips. Doing just as he demanded, I stood before him and waited for another command. He lightly traced a finger from my throat downwards, along my breast to my stomach and stopped at my hip before pulling me close. "Where?" he asked quietly.

Before I could answer his question, a knock at our bedroom door was an unwelcome interruption.

"What?" I yelled gruffly. Whoever was on the other side of the door knew they were intruding when it was me doing the yelling.

"Your parents are here," Rosalie answered, annoyance filling her voice.

I huffed and leaned my forehead against Edward's naked chest. "You know what to do with them," I replied sternly. "Feed Charlie. Talk to Renee. Leave us ALONE."

"But the guests are about to arrive," she whined and Edward was the next to interrupt.

"You heard her, Rose. Leave us alone. We'll be down later." Her usual feather light footsteps sounded like an elephant's as she stomped down the stairs to entertain my parents.

"Now, where were we?" I asked, pulling Edward closer and kissing his lips fiercely.

"Where?" he asked again, scanning my naked skin for a good place to bite.

"This is a day to celebrate. You can choose."

His eyes lit up as he led me to the leather bench in the corner and sat me down. Leaning over, he carefully suckled one nipple while brushing his fingers over the other one, sending delicious sensations straight to my core. I held on to his hard biceps, trying to keep my balance as he kissed and licked his way down my body until he was kneeling between my legs.

My breath hitched in anticipation. Edward had become very skilled over time and never disappointed. He ran his hands over my thighs before brushing over my sensitive spot, zeroing in on my center with one hand while he pulled my head down to his for another kiss.

"Are you ready, my love?" he asked.

I bit my lip and nodded my head in agreement. Watching him lower his mouth to my slit, I shivered when his cool tongue darted out and licked along my entrance. He looked up at me and smiled, tightening his grip on my thighs as he bent back to the task at hand. Edward worked my clit, flicking, circling, and sucking it in just the right combination. He knew exactly what to do to bring me to that peak quickly. Heat pooled down below and my release was imminent. As my body clenched and thrashed in that glorious moment, Edward found the silvered scar on my inner thigh and quickly bit down.

Crying out at the initial strike of his teeth on my flesh, I whimpered as the venom slowly flowed through my veins. He understood that the burn was part of the appeal and he let it spread for a few seconds before beginning to suck forcefully. Drawing in a large mouthful of my blood, Edward moaned in pleasure and his fingers found my clit to begin another round of my gratification. A few short minutes later, another orgasm rocked my body and he was left satiated, his urge to bite me during sex now dulled.

In the blink of an eye, Edward disappeared and reappeared with a bandage for my wound. Unsexy, yes, but necessary. A moment later, I was on my back on the carpeted floor of the large closet, Edward sliding into me from above. Our bodies moved in tandem, our motions perfectly in sync. As he picked up his pace, I just held on and enjoyed the ride to the finish.

Collapsing and leaning his weight on his elbows, he smiled down at me through hooded eyes. The sounds of laughter and the loud voices of our classmates were a stark reminder that a party was going on outside and we needed to join it sooner rather than later.

"Can we just stay up here until everyone leaves?" I asked and playfully kissed his jaw. "You can't go downstairs looking like that anyway." His eyes would scare the crap out of the humans outside.

"Maybe I'll just hide out in the forest and come back when the party's over?" Edward smoothed my sweat soaked hair away from my forehead, his cool hand lingering on my cheek as he smirked.

I looked into his crimson eyes, raising an eyebrow that dared him to leave me alone at the graduation party before playfully trying to push him off of me. "Get out of here and come right back." Propping myself up on my elbows, I continued. "I better get downstairs before Charlie eats all of the food."

Edward helped me up off of the floor and he quickly dressed while I stood in front of the rack sifting through my clothing options. "Alice says to wear this," he said as he plucked a pair of jeans with a deep blue twin set hanging right next to it.

I shook my head and sighed. "Damn you two and your creepy abilities." He handed me a pair of black ballet flats. "Although, it does come in handy sometimes."

"You're just lucky I actually knew what she was talking about this time," he said and leaned in to kiss my lips. "I'll be back soon."

I watched Edward disappear out his window and sprint out of sight into the trees before I quickly cleaned up, got dressed, and joined everyone downstairs.

"Bella, so glad you could finally put some clothes on and join us," Emmett chided from behind me as he walked into the kitchen.

I closed my eyes and cringed, silently hoping that no one was around to hear him. "Shut your pie hole, you big ape." Emmett breezed past me and rinsed out two empty cans of beer under the faucet. "Still pulling the waiter act, I see. What'd you break this time?"

"Funny," he deadpanned and crushed the cans in his fists. "How does the Chief drink this stuff? It smells awful." He pulled another beer out of the refrigerator and handed it to me.

"Beats me, Em," I answered. "Is it bad out there?"

He shrugged. "All of your classmates couldn't resist a look at our house, so it's pretty packed. Now run along," he said, shooing me out of the kitchen with his arms. "The parents are hiding in the den and I've got to get back to Rosie before she kills someone."

Knowing that he wasn't kidding, I walked in the opposite direction and entered the den. My mother and Esme sat on a couch, chatting like long lost friends. Carlisle and my father stood by the large window looking out over the back patio and kept an eye on a large crowd of teenagers dancing to loud music below. I handed Charlie the cold can, now wet with condensation.

"Thanks, Bells," my father said as I wiped my damp hand on my jeans. "Where have you been?"

"Around," I answered quickly and turned away before the heat flushing my cheeks could give me away.

"There's my high school graduate!" my mother called, finally noticing that I was in the room. "Come here and give your momma a hug." Renee stood up and held her arms open wide.

I crossed the room and hugged my mother, squeezing her tightly. "I'm glad you could make it."

"I wouldn't miss this for the world," she said, releasing me and looking at me with tears in her eyes. "Where's Edward? I want to get more pictures of the two of you before you ditch us for your friends."

I looked at the door, hoping Edward would walk right through and I wouldn't have to make excuses. But he'd only been gone for about twenty minutes and my gaze fell onto the forest through the window. It was too soon for him to be back from his little hunting trip. "He's out there somewhere," I said, not realizing I was indicating he wasn't here at the house at all.

As soon as I spoke, Carlisle and Esme smiled knowingly at each other and looked to me with complete understanding. A new round of embarrassment flooded my face and I had to get out of that room pronto. Maybe I wasn't exactly over them hearing everything that goes on in the house, especially when they didn't even bother to act like they couldn't hear everything. "I'll go find him," I croaked to my mother and left the room.

**Carlisle POV**

My wife and I laughed lowly, so quietly that Bella's parents couldn't hear our mirth. It was so easy to embarrass Bella. We thought of her as family and treated her as such. She wasn't exempt from the ribbing and good natured joking that all of our children received. But with Bella, it was too easy. All it took was a knowing look, a warm smile, and her cheeks would flush red followed by her flight from the room.

The sky was overcast but the air was warm and the rain stayed away. As a result, most of the humans were outside enjoying the air and unknowingly giving the vampires inside a break from the incessant noise of their chatter, breathing, and heartbeats. Charlie walked away to talk to Esme and Renee, but something told me to remain at the window. Listening to my inner voice paid off when I spotted a familiar vampire step out of the forest and enter the crowd of humans, disappearing around the corner of the house.

I calmly crossed the room and kissed Esme on the cheek. "Will you excuse me," I said. "There's someone here I'd like to speak with."

She looked up in concern but remained quiet as I gave her a reassuring smile and lightly squeezed her shoulder. There was no need to worry her when I didn't know what the situation held.

Alice met me in the hallway just as I closed the door to the den. "Mike Newton's here," she said. "Emmett and Jasper are watching him right now. I've called Edward but his phone is upstairs. He left it here while he went hunting in the woods."

"Any visions of why he's here?" I asked.

"I've had very few visions of Mike over the last months. Just a few of him, Victoria, and Laurent as they traveled across what looked like Europe."

"But nothing of them back in Forks?"

"Nothing, it's always been black when I look or I just can't get anything." The frustration was clear in Alice's face.

"Find Bella and keep her safe," I directed. "And I'd like to talk to Mike. I'll be in the library." _I'm especially interested in seeing if he was still sleeping after all this time like Edward._

**Bella POV**

Searching through the crowd of people outside, Edward had yet to return. I greeted Angela and Ben each with a warm hug before retreating to the edge of the patio to wait impatiently for my boyfriend to return. A cool hand grasped my shoulder a little roughly and I turned around quickly with my arms outstretched, ready for an embrace.

"What took you so long?" I said before realizing the vampire standing before me wasn't Edward.

"Aw, you missed me?" Mike Newton said, his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses. He looked more mature, even though it was impossible that he had aged. In the months that he had been away from Forks, the way he carried himself had changed. He appeared to stand taller and he definitely dressed older. Gone were the letterman jacket and sneakers, replaced by designer loafers and a sport coat over a crisp polo shirt and dark jeans. "Maybe I should have come home sooner."

I froze as he pulled me into an awkward hug that I didn't return. Jasper, Rosalie, Alice, and Emmett surrounded us a second later. Waves of calm washed over me and hopefully they calmed Mike too. Thank God for Jasper and his magical gift.

"Hiya, Mike," Emmett said, a wicked grin gracing his face. "Wanna let go of our girl there?"

"Sure thing." He dropped his hold on my body and I staggered backwards into Rosalie's surprisingly protective arms. I was also really thankful for Jasper's calming vibes because they were the only things keeping the panic from taking over my mind. The feelings from the kidnapping, the fear and helplessness, weren't buried as deep as I thought they were, and they threatened to well up and overtake me.

"What brings you back to Forks?" Alice asked, trying to not sound suspicious. "And more importantly, are you here alone?"

"I was just saying hello to my old friend here." Mike smiled warmly in my direction before casually jamming his hands into the pockets of his jeans and rocking back onto the heels of his shoes. "Everyone's graduating and I wanted to celebrate with them, so I left Russia this morning by myself and came down for a visit."

Mike scanned the crowd as if he was looking for someone specific. Then his eyes locked on mine, but I looked away before he could see the fear and distrust reflected in my own.

"Carlisle would like to speak with you. Please follow me," Alice said and turned towards the house.

"But I want to catch up with my friends."

Emmett placed a hand into Mike's back, pushing him forward. "It wasn't a request, sunshine. It was an order. Now march before I put a foot in your ass."

Mike did as he was told and followed Alice into the house with Emmett a mere step behind.

Rosalie let me go and stepped away. "Someone better find Edward. I have a feeling we're going to need to know if Mike's telling the truth while he talks to Carlisle."

"Mike's back?" Edward growled, stepping around the corner of the house and onto the deck.

I ran into his arms, sagging into his embrace in relief.

"Are you alright?" he asked me tenderly.

"I'm fine," I answered. "But you better get up there so we know what's really going on."

Rosalie turned to walk away, but swung back around on the balls of her feet. "Just don't let him see you. There's no need to have a pissing match with all of these people around."

**Carlisle POV**

The heavy door to the library swung open and Alice walked in, followed by Michael and Emmett.

"What an unexpected surprise," I said, motioning for Michael to sit in the chair opposite my desk. "Thank you, Alice. You can enjoy the party with the rest of our guests."

"Just call if you need anything," she replied and opened the door wide, revealing Edward standing a short distance down the hallway. _I'm glad you're back, son._ I thought, feeling more confident that we could find out the truth about why this vampire has returned after all of these months of absence. Luckily, Michael couldn't see him because his back was to the door.

Once the door clicked shut behind Alice, I forced a friendly smile onto my face. "What brings you back to Forks?"

The young vampire removed his sunglasses, revealing tired crimson eyes. "It felt like the right time to come home."

I studied his face – the tired features and the red, wizened eyes – Michael had been through a lot in the time he'd been gone from this area. "And your traveling companions?"

"We parted ways in Russia earlier today," he said simply. None of the youthful bravado remained in his voice.

There was no way of easing into what I needed to ask him next. "Did you sleep in the days after you were rendered unconscious with your ability?"

"What?" Mike asked, looking at me with confusion.

"I'm a doctor and I'm curious from a scientific viewpoint." I had to play this cautiously and close to my chest.

"After I woke up in the basement here and your daughters made me drink animal blood, I did go home and sleep for several hours. But I woke up hungrier than I've ever been."

"And that's when you drained your neighbors?" I interrupted.

He looked down at his lap. "Yeah," he said quietly, his voice full of shame. "That's when I knew we had to leave. There was no way that I could stay here anymore."

"Did you sleep again after that?" I prodded.

"No," he answered. "I haven't slept since."

Pieces of the puzzle to overcoming the plague of sleep for Edward were coming together in my mind, if he ever wished to solve this riddle. "And your diet?"

"Only humans since that one time with Alice and Rosalie."

Mike shifted uncomfortably in his chair, obviously growing bored with this conversation. "Why do you have all of these questions? Didn't the same thing happen to Edward since I knocked him out?"

"Edward only slept once too," I lied. "You haven't used your gift on anyone else, have you?"

"Nope," he answered, but a small smile played at the corners of his lips.

**Edward POV**

The picture was becoming quite clear to me. Animal blood was trapping me in an endless cycle of wake, sleep, and repeat. I wasn't really sure how I felt about sleep at the moment because I couldn't tell if Mike was lying about anything right now. His thoughts strangely matched exactly what he was saying. There were no stray lines of thoughts, no random ideas, or no odd pictures.

Alice broke into my concentration, projecting her vision into my mind forcefully. And what I saw blew me away. Two broken bodies lying in a heap on the cold, hard ground. One white female with long, red hair and one black male with dread locks. Looking closer at the forms in the vision, the two vampires were clearly unconscious.

"Laurent and Victoria," Alice gasped.

I growled low. "That lying son of a bitch."

* * *

**I'm a beta for Sparkly Red Pen (www(dot)sparklyredpen(dot)com and I have two fics I've been working on. The first one is _Damaged_ by cullenlvr83 http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/6736090/1/ . College student Bella is being stalked by her psycho ex Riley. I came on board starting with chapter 12 and it updates weekly. The other fic is _The Eagle and the Sparrow _by masenjar http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/7189603/1/. Tycoon and playboy Edward may have met his perfect match in Bella, but will things go smoothly? This one is on chapter 4 and updates every week. Please check these fics out and leave these wonderful ladies some love. **

**As promised, here are the fics that are owning me. When I get the alerts in my email, I drop everything and read these right away. I'll just give you the names and links. Just check these out, they are that good. **

_**The Vagina Monologues **_**by jtmd24 http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/7154948/1/The_Vagina_Monologues**

_**The Slowest Burn **_**by TypoKween http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/7076900/1/**

**Restless by RandomCran http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/7012660/1/**

**Collide by Branchirps http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/7188808/1/**

**Giving Way to Dusk by HelenahJay http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/6995816/1/**

**If We Ever Meet Again by PattyRose http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/6922461/1/**

**Breaking Away by MissyPooh http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/7170880/1/Breaking_Away**

**La Morte Nera by AydenMorgen http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/7128579/1/La_Morte_Nera**

**And I think that's it. Until next time, which will hopefully be very soon. **


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Big thanks to prereaders Erikasbuddy and newly on board masenjar. Please see the author's note at the end for links to the songs dear, sweet Emmett can't help but sing out loud in this chapter. **

**Push and Pull has been nominated for The Emerging Swan Awards, check the ending author's note on how to vote.**

**Disclaimer: SM owns everything Twilight related, but I've come up with an entire chapter of the strange and often funny, inner workings of Emmett's brain. No infringement intended. **

* * *

**Chapter 23**

**Emmett POV**

Outside on the patio, the music blared and sweaty, teenaged bodies danced in time with the bass pumps. Rose had quickly grown bored of the humans and retreated to our bedroom, muttering something about there being no peace to be found anywhere. Esme was busy entertaining Bella's parents, and the other members of my family were dealing with Mike. I was left to guard Bella by myself.

As she chatted away with Angela and Ben animatedly, I uselessly stood by totally bored out of my mind. What I really wanted to do was run into the house and listen in on what that punk ass vampire was doing back here. He had some huge balls showing up like he did, stepping out of the woods and rubbing up on Bella. Edward's scent was all over her, and it was unmistakable that they were still together. Maybe he really wasn't back for her? Stranger things have happened.

I subtly tapped my foot in time with the music because I'm too cool to dance and that's the most I'd attempt. Even if I wasn't bound by my status as the enforcer around here, now wasn't the time to groove with Bella and piss off Edward in the process anyway. But I couldn't help but sing out loud to the music, just for something to entertain myself while I guarded Bella.

_There's a place downtown where the freaks all come around_

_It's a hole in the wall, It's a dirty free for all_

Damn you, Kesha for being so glittery and dirty. And so irresistibly catchy. At least you could tell she was a chick, unlike the alleged Lady Gaga. I needed to focus on my surroundings, and the music mercifully changed – from something that made me want to hump Rose's leg to something even worse. But this I tuned out easily.

The wind picked up, whipping through the patio and around every human, mixing their scents and blowing them in my face. The mix of cheap perfume, body odor, and teenage hormones was nauseating. _Hurry up in there, guys._ I didn't know how much more of this I could take. A faint, metallic and antiseptic scent zeroed in on my nose. It was familiar, but I couldn't quite place it.

Bella, Ben, and Angela looked at me as if they were waiting for a response.

"Huh?" I eloquently grunted. God, I really did sound like a Neanderthal. No wonder most people didn't give me much of a second thought after deciding I was just a muscle bound idiot.

"Emmett, Ben asked what it's been like riding along with Charlie." How nice of Bella to repeat the question.

I loved my little sister. She was the best sister a guy could ask for, and not just because Bella didn't call me a dumbass in front of her friends. Since they were including me in the conversation, I should probably pay better attention. "Pretty cool, but boring. Nothing happens around here."

"Yeah," Ben said. "I'm sure you'll never have to shoot anyone in Forks."

Bella took a few steps closer to me and playfully grabbed my bicep. The metallic odor grew stronger. "I think one look at these guns and any perp will be intimidated enough that Emmett will never need to use a gun." She even winked at me when she was done feeling up my arm.

But I was too focused on that strange yet familiar scent invading my nose that I couldn't even give her a strong hint of innuendo back. Shit, I knew what that smell was now—Bella was bleeding. And this wasn't a friendly visit from her Aunt Flo either. I'd been around her long enough that it didn't bother me so much, but with Mike inside I didn't want to take any chances. "We should go check on Charlie and Renee, Bella."

She looked at me for a few seconds before answering. "Yeah, you're probably right."

I gently guided her inside, waiting until we were alone in the family room to speak to her. "You're bleeding. Did you cut yourself?"

"Damn it," she cursed, and quickly clamped a hand over her inner thigh. "I'll just run up to our room and put on a new bandage."

"Probably not a good idea," I said, putting my hand out to stop her. "Jasper's on the stairs to calm your boy toy down so he doesn't kill Mike while Carlisle talks to him in the library."

"Oh." Bella stopped and put her hands on her hips. "They're in our bathroom. You'll have to get the bandages for me."

I turned to go before Bella interrupted me.

"Or," she said with a hint of mischief in her voice. "Maybe you could just carry me up there superfast?"

I turned back around and she was smiling brightly at me. "That won't solve the problem of the scent trail you leave behind. Don't tease poor Jasper like that."

Her face fell. "We shouldn't have done it here. It was wrong."

Now _I_ made her feel bad. "Let me get that stuff for you. I'll meet you in the bathroom."

As I approached the stairs, I looked down the hall to check on Alice and Edward. Edward's fists were clenched tightly and his face was just plain pissed off. Alice had the blank stare she wore had when she was sifting through a shit ton of visions. _Business as usual there,_ I thought and continued upwards. Jasper sat at the top of the stairs, concentrating on Edward and barely noticing me as I walked past.

When I reached the end of the hall, I paused with my hand on the doorknob to Bella and Edward's bedroom. Cracking it open, the smell of sex and blood slammed into me, disorienting me for a few seconds. They really needed to crack a window open and air this room out.

I quickly found the bandages, and I made my way back downstairs to the bathroom on the main level. Tapping lightly on the door, it cracked open slightly to reveal Bella standing there with her jeans around her ankles, tending to a crescent shaped wound on her inner thigh.

"Shit, Bella. Are you guys really that stupid?" flew out of my mouth before I could stop myself.

She pressed a hand over the bite mark. "Damn it, Emmett. You just scared the crap out of me. Close the door."

I eased into the bathroom and slammed the door shut with my back. "Let me see," I demanded.

Bella avoided my gaze, and she wouldn't pull her hand away from her 'eg. "No way, you're mad enough already."

I softened my fierce expression, and took a step towards her. "I'm not mad, just let me take a look."

As I knelt in front of Bella and gently grasped her wrist, she clamped her hand into the soft flesh of her leg with all of her strength. The blood quickly ran out of her fingertips, leaving them white. I chuckled as I gently wrenched her wrist away from her leg. "Weak, Bella. Really weak."

"I thought it was worth a shot," she answered before straightening up before me. "Take your look and get it over with."

I stopped breathing because, to be honest, being this close to Bella's blood was a bit unnerving. It was a good thing that she was Edward's singer and not mine, especially when you consider my zero for two track record up against my singers. And Bella certainly wasn't nervous having me this close to an open wound. I was a little offended that she thought I was some kind of neutered vampire, not the well-hung killing machine that I naturally was.

"Are you going to sit there all slack jawed?" Bella asked. "Because it's starting to feel like you're staring at my crotch."

"Oh, hell no. Gross." If I was entertaining ideas about my sister's goodies, someone needed to kick my ass. I'm sure Rosie would be first in line for that ass whooping. Hell, I'd even kick my _own_ ass. "Just hold still."

Several overlapping, raised, white, teeth-shaped scars dotted the same area of her inner thigh. A new set of red puncture wounds crisscrossed the older scars with a small amount of blood slowly seeping from some of the gashes. Edward obviously had a favorite spot to frequent when he got to indulge on the Cullen Clan's forbidden nectar.

I handed her a fresh bandage and stood up. "Are you okay with this?" I said, motioning toward her leg.

She finally made eye contact with me again, and it never wavered from mine. "It was my idea," she said, her voice strong and even.

"Oh," was all I could muster up as an answer. I silently watched her bandage her leg and make herself presentable for our guests. "You know that you guys are violating the treaty with the dogs, right?"

She smiled and closed the gap between us. "That's why no one else knows." As she stood on her tiptoes and placed a kiss on my cheek, she whispered, "And that's why you won't tell anyone about this."

"You're an evil, evil woman, Bella. I don't care how sweet and innocent you look." She just shrugged her shoulders and pursed her lips at me. I opened the bathroom door and let her walk out ahead of me, just in time for Alice to see the whole scene as she was walking down the stairs.

Bella went back to the party while I waited in the hallway for Alice. "Is Carlisle done with Newton yet?"

She furrowed her brow and watched Bella strike up a conversation with Angela and Ben on the patio. "Not yet. I don't have to tell you to play this cool?" she asked.

"Play what cool?" I answered, shrugging my shoulders and smiling dully.

Alice narrowed her eyes while she stared through me for a few seconds, but she must have been satisfied with whatever scene played out before her. "Good. In a few minutes, you'll have to entertain Mike for the next couple of hours. Be his best friend and don't act suspicious or anything."

"Really?" All work and no play makes Emmett a dull boy. "Fine." I turned to go back to the party but she stopped me with an unnecessarily strong hand on my arm.

"And whatever you do, don't let him leave with any of the girls out there. It won't end well for her, and Charlie will have another murder investigation on his hands."

"Great," I said with fake enthusiasm. "How come I'm getting all of the shit jobs today?"

"Because cleaning up all of the shit is _your_ gift," Alice said over her shoulder as she walked away.

"I'm gonna need hip waders to slog through all of this bullshit," I mumbled to myself.

Jasper and Edward appeared in front of me, tense expressions pasted on their faces. I simply nodded my head once to them as they passed, and waited for Mike and Carlisle to emerge from the library. And as luck would have it, I didn't have to wait long.

"Emmett," Carlisle greeted me. "Why don't you take Mike outside to get reacquainted with his classmates? He'll be staying with us for a few days, so I'll have Esme make up the guest room in the meantime."

Make up the guest room? Was this little fucker still sleeping the night away like Edward? There was no time for questions now because the game was afoot, and I slipped my poker face on. Eh, _Poker Face_. There better not be any Lady Gaga playing on the stereo when I get out there.

"Well, welcome back, then. After you," I said, letting Mike walk towards the door ahead of me. I raised my eyebrows at Carlisle and he stared back impassively. He wasn't going to give away one little part of his plan. But I've been around long enough to know that he was playing a game of _Keep your friends close and your enemies closer_. I smirked at him and walked a few steps behind my new best friend. "And my wolf pack grew by one. Now there were two in my wolf pack."I snorted while I tried to suppress my laughter at my mad movie quoting skills, but Mike just glanced back at me with a puzzled look on his face. If he can't take a joke, this was going to be a long couple of days.

The music had grown marginally better, and the strains of a trendier rock band filled the air instead of my favorite dirty bitch's techno pop. At least I didn't have to worry about being distracted from my babysitting duties by the music. Mike made his way through the crowd, and he was greeted like the long lost buddy that he was to most of the classmates on the patio.

Her alluring and unmistakable scent hit me seconds before she soundlessly approached me from behind. I closed my eyes as her soft hands snaked around my waist, and she pressed her tight, hard body against the length of my back. "Hey," she whispered in my ear while she gripped my bicep with one arm and grabbed a handful of my ass with her other hand. Rosalie's lips lingered teasingly over my ear while I turned my head to greet my sexy wife.

"Hi, beautiful," I said, pulling her into my arms and keeping a close eye on Mike out in the crowd of people at the same time. But she began to kiss her way up my neck, and I couldn't focus anymore. I abandoned my watch, and jerked her face upwards to mine. My lips crashed into hers just as the music changed once again. _Damn it. Who picked this fucking music? _We kissed greedily, gnashing tongues and teeth, both growling possessively without regard for the humans within several feet of us. Thank God the provocative music was so loud around us. Breaking away, the glint in Rosalie's eyes said it all. But there was no way I'd abandon my post, even after this little interlude.

"Let's get out of here," Rosalie demanded, lacing her fingers in mine and tugging towards the forest. The idea of a bit of forest sexin' was so tempting right now.

A large sigh escaped my lips. "No can do, babe. I'm on duty." I nodded my head towards Mike, who was chatting up some random, nameless semi-hotty from Bella's class. And from the looks of how handsy they were getting already, I was going to have to intervene sooner rather than later to avoid Alice's prophecy coming true.

A mild look of annoyance floated across Rose's face, which was pretty minor as far as her bitch faces could go. Maybe she wasn't going to give me a hard time about this.

_I am cannibal_

_I'll eat you up_

"Shit, I just sang that out loud, didn't I?" I said, closing my eyes and scrunching my face up tight.

Rose's laughter died down long enough for her to squeak out a word or two. "You sure did, Emmett."

That was enough to rile me up. "Who made up this damn playlist anyway? Alice?" I began to search the patio area for that short little spitfire so I could give her a ton of shit for making me look like a moron, but the sound of Rose's giggling put an abrupt stop to my hunt.

"_I_ was in charge of the music," she said simply. "Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, especially you. You'd be really great on _Don't Forget The Lyrics_ if they had a Kesha edition."

Even I had to laugh at that. Pulling her tight against my body, I nuzzled into her neck and nipped my way up to her ear. "You wanted to share our sexy times music with everyone?" I growled in her ear. I grabbed her hand and jammed it over my zipper. "See what this does?"

Rose's breath hitched and she licked her lips. "Maybe that wasn't such a good idea." And the cock tease had the nerve to palm my dick and stroke it through my pants.

I grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away. "Enough with the inappropriate touching—there are impressionable children around." I gave her the most devilish smile that I could, complete with a cock of an eyebrow. Putty…in… my… hands.

"I think you already warped Edward and Bella. They're mauling each other in the corner over there." She pointed to the corner of the house, and sure enough, they were dry humping each other and making out like the world was coming to an end.

"Bow chicka bow wow," I sang, craning my neck to get a better look. Such unrestrained behavior from two normally tight-ass prudes in public. "Seriously though, babe, I have to take a rain check. A little later?"

"Yeah," she said, complete with a pout. Oh how I loved those pouty lips of my Rosie. "Everyone is starting to stare at them anyway."

Shit, she was right. I'm sure this was some hair-brained attempt of Edward's at marking his Bella territory for Mike to see. Touché, Edward. And good move, sir. Mike was certainly taking notice if staring with his mouth hanging open in shock across the patio was any measure of his attention. "I'll take care of Mike and all of the other nosy asses out here. You take care of the free peep show in the corner or we should start collecting a cover charge," I said to Rose, and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

"But they look so happy mauling each other," she said with a playful slap to my ass before she walked away. Man, I loved that woman. As I walked towards Mike, I heard her call out to Edward and Bella, "Don't make me use the hose on you two." Classic.

I didn't have time to see their reaction before I clamped my arm around Mike's shoulder and neck, stopping him from following after Miss No-Name as she walked towards the drink table.

"What the— " he said when his forward momentum was suddenly halted.

"Hey there, stud. What's happening?" I didn't release my tight grip around his body as I talked uncomfortably close to his face. I mentally high-fived myself for this dick-tastic move.

If Mike's body still had blood flow, I'd bet his face would have been bright red. "I was looking at a sweet _slam piece_ right there," he somehow managed to whine, "but you're trying to choke the life out of me right now."

Squeezing a little harder with my bicep before I let him go, I gave him my best "Bitch, are you serious?" look. "Do you even know what happens if you do it with a normal chick, Don Juan?"

Mike looked thoughtful for a second before he squinted one eye shut like he was having a stroke. If this was how he looked when he was deep in thought, we were in serious trouble. "But they've obviously been doing it," he said while jabbing a finger towards Bella and Edward, who were now holding hands like innocent kids while Rosalie talked to them.

The sight of my wife's delicious ass in the tight jeans she wore momentarily distracted me, and I forgot to listen for any more words from Mike. "What?" I said and nodded towards the three of them behind us. "He's a lot older than you and has a different diet, remember?"

The squinty eye was making a comeback, and I had to put a stop to it before I was forced to punch it off of Mike's face. Don't over-think this, Good Will Hunting. How could I put this in terms this dipshit would understand? I needed to watch more Doctor Phil and less Maury Povich during sunny days, maybe I would pick up some valuable coercion skills. "As much as you don't want to hear this," I began, "Edward is a special case. Even I couldn't bone Bella and not kill her."

Mike started to look less like a stroke victim and more normal as he started to nod his head up and down. "I think I get it, man."

Finally, the breakthrough I was waiting for was occurring right before my disbelieving eyes. But the lucky girl from earlier picked that inopportune time to show back up with a red plastic cup in her hand. "Are we gonna get going, Mike?" she practically purred as she ran a hand down his arm.

He flashed her a million watt smile, and I suppressed my urge to gag. "Some other time, okay? I'll call you."

Her face fell, and I swore I heard the sound of glass shattering inside her chest. Teenagers. "Fuck you, Mike. Lose my number." She turned and quickly walked away. Little did she know that her life was just spared. Sure, her ego was bruised, but she'd live to have another potential walk of shame in college.

Mike and I watched her disappear into the house. "I'm touched, Mike. You'd rather hang out with us."

He let out a laugh and smiled. "Something like that. Let's join the rest of your family, and I'll tell you all about Europe."

Alice and Jasper had joined Bella, Edward, and Rosalie on the patio. We filled in the circle, and Edward wasn't so subtle when he pulled Bella close to his body. But Mike didn't visibly react. Mike began to tell us about his travels across the world. He was careful to not mention who he was with wherever he ventured, unless he met someone unique that made us laugh.

After about twenty minutes of actually enjoying listening to Mike's adventures, Bella yawned, and then slumped against Edward weakly. "You might want to get Bella home before she labascates, Edward," Jasper said seriously.

Those of us born in the twentieth century stared at him blankly, waiting for him to pick a word that was actually still in use today. Apparently Edward was ancient enough to get what Jasper was saying. "She won't fall on my watch, Grandpa Jasper."

I busted out laughing, I couldn't help myself. "What next? Are you two gonna call each other 'Galoots' or something equally dumb?"

Even Alice jumped in on the teasing. "Yeah, the nineteenth century called and they want their lingo back." Everyone laughed loudly because it was rare that she had a good comeback.

"I'll just ride home with Mom and Dad, Edward." Bella linked hands with Edward and started to pull him toward the house. "Bye, guys. I'll see everyone later."

As it approached eleven o'clock, the crowd of partygoers had thinned out and the last few guests were leaving. The humans hadn't left as much of a mess as I thought they would. Carlisle and Esme joined in the cleanup effort, and it was finished in no time.

Eight vampires stood in the family room with an entire night ahead of us. Edward left to spend the night with Bella. And then there were seven.

Carlisle's face lit up, and he looked at us expectantly. "How about a family hunting trip?"

As we all murmured our consents, Mike stood by uneasily.

Carlisle spoke again, this time directly to the only vampire that wasn't a member of this family. "You too, Mike. It's now or never, and it's what you agreed to when you asked to stay with us."

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**_Push and Pull_ has been nominated for an Emerging Swan Award in the Best Edward/Bella category. Voting ends September 5, 2011. emergingswanawards(dot)blogspot(dot)com**

**The first song Emmett sings is _Take It Off_ by Kesha on _Cannibal_ (Official Video www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=3Oh4I5Yn7Bo)**

**The second song Emmett sings _Cannibal_ by Kesha on _Cannibal_ (music here www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=fRNRICIkRDc)**

**And this video has nothing to do with this chapter, but Kesha's video for_ Blow_ makes me laugh because it has half unicorns/half men and features the Dawson- James Van Der Beek. It's really weird and just out there. www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=CFWX0hWCbng&feature=channel_video_title**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Big thanks to Erikasbuddy and Masenjar as usual. Now, for a bit of the calm before the storm. On with the story...**

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**Chapter 24**

**Bella POV**

Sleep came to Edward so easily, just like everything else always did. It was as if an invisible switch was flipped, and he remained blissfully unconscious for several uninterrupted hours. No matter how much I tossed and turned next to him in our bed, he rarely stirred. It was a bit unnerving sleeping next to him, and those first weeks were a tough adjustment period for me. No quiet breaths or sighs indicated that he was still alive. There were no involuntary twitches of a limb, not even a flutter of an eyelid to remind me that he would soon reanimate and rejoin the world of the living. He certainly didn't talk in his sleep like I did, especially when I was stressed or nervous, like I was now.

When Mike Newton suddenly appeared at our graduation party, I was once again left tense and plagued with dread and uncertainty. Edward materialized in my bedroom an hour after I had left the party along with my parents when they were ready to go home. After he dressed in his usual pajama pants and t-shirt, he simply crawled into bed next to me, kissed me goodnight, and rolled onto his back before closing his eyes. He didn't have enough time to explain Mike's true motivations for coming back to Forks before sleep overtook him. Edward didn't have much control over when he fell asleep—he could only fight it for so long before sleep pulled him into the darkness. We had both learned months ago that it was useless to fight against it.

As Edward slumbered peacefully at my side, my nocturnal experience was quite the opposite. Strange dreams danced behind my eyelids once I managed to fall into a deep enough sleep. I'd wake up in a cold sweat, my heart racing and my body tangled in the sheets. Fear and adrenalin raced through my body, but I didn't remember exactly what I was afraid of. After each episode, I'd settle my nervous body next to Edward, and force myself to breathe slowly until I could fall asleep again. But honestly, I missed having my boyfriend awake and alert, comforting me when I had a bad dream, lulling me back to sleep by humming my lullaby and with his cool, comforting touches. At the moment, Mike was a wildcard, and the possibility of his being back here for nefarious purposes made my stomach roil with nervous energy. If he were to come for me—right now—I was completely vulnerable with Edward fast asleep mere inches from me.

In the middle of another odd dream, one where Emmett raced through the woods with me clinging tightly to his back, an unknown predator pursuing just behind us and threatening to pull me away, the shrill ring of our home phone sounded from my father's bedroom. My room was still blanketed in darkness, and I wondered who would call at such an inhumanely early hour. That curiosity only lasted a few seconds before Edward rolled over and pulled me against him tightly, burying his face into my hair. At least he was stirring, and hopefully he would be awake soon. A quick glance at the alarm clock on my nightstand, a bit of simple math, and I realized that I'd finally slept for about five hours. Daylight wasn't that far away, but I relaxed back into the bed and against him, and closed my eyes again.

I had just dozed off again when the tell-tale creaking of my bedroom door signaled the arrival of my father inside my room. "Bells." My father's voice was quiet, but insistent as he said my name again. "Bella."

I sighed, but didn't open my eyes or even try to move any part of myself to indicate that I was awake. "What?" I groaned, sounding like a girl that chain smoked a pack of cigarettes. I just wanted to go back to sleep.

"That was Billy Black on the phone." He spoke a little louder now that he knew I was awake. Mercifully, he didn't turn on the light as his footsteps sounded further into my room. I didn't think my eyes could take that kind of torture.

Apparently he wasn't going to hold a one-sided conversation with me either, and was waiting for a response. "Yeah? What was so important that he had to call you before the sun was up?" Edward's arm luckily wasn't slung over my body, so I was free to sit up if I wanted to. But I didn't feel like it.

My dad knelt down next to my bed, and I finally opened my eyes. "They know that Mike Newton is back, and he wanted to see if I knew anything about it."

Now I was awake. Billy was going to stir up trouble after months of relative silence on his end. I sat up, and Charlie finally noticed that Edward was in the same bed as his daughter.

"He's sleeping?"

I looked over at Edward, as if I needed to confirm the fact for myself before looking back at my father. "Yep." No need to elaborate on the obvious.

His steely gaze combined with a few seconds of silence had me bracing myself for the worst. He'd never seen Edward in my bedroom, let alone _in bed with me_, before this moment. If he'd had any idea before now, my father had never let on that he actually knew. And Edward routinely listened in to Charlie's thoughts.

"Hmm," he snorted. "Thought they didn't sleep. I may have to rethink Emmett being on my force if he's going to be napping on the night shift like the regular guys."

"Edward's kind of…broken. After the run in with Mike that one time—" I let my voice trail off, hoping that he could fill in the rest of the blanks and not bring up the kidnapping.

"So he's been sleeping here every night?" A bit of the suspect interrogation tone crept into Charlie's voice, but the concerned dad voice was there too.

"Pretty much." I wasn't going to let him steam roll over me.

My words hung in the air, and his expression was blank for several agonizing moments while I waited for him to react to my bold admission. Edward continued to sleep soundlessly next to me, oblivious to the situation surrounding him.

"I'm not happy about this…but we have bigger problems right now." Worry etched lines into my father's face, and he was beginning to look his age—older even. Suddenly, his serious expression lightened. "At least he doesn't snore." My father chuckled to himself before smiling broadly in the moonlight. "You can probably hear me snore through the wall at night."

Relief flooded my senses. Had Charlie finally accepted our relationship? There'd be no fight, at least right now, so I laughed too. "Sometimes I can hear it. When I first came back to live here, I had to listen to my iPod with headphones just to fall asleep because you're snoring was _so_ loud."

Dad stood up, creaking and cracking as he gripped the wooden nightstand for leverage. My smile faded as I realized he wouldn't be around forever. "Let's get down to business, kiddo, and I'll let you get back to sleep. I know Mike's back in town, and he's staying with the Cullen's for now. I told Billy as much, and that he should talk to them directly. I won't be used as a middle man for their petty squabbles."

Charlie knew more about what was going on than I did. Carlisle must have filled him in while we were at the graduation party on the patio. "That sounds fair. And I don't know anything else. Edward went to sleep as soon as he got here last night."

"Well, if he wakes up while I'm still here, have him talk to me if he has anything to add. And remind me to give him the spare front door key."

"Okay." If I wasn't so tired, I'd be excited that he finally accepted Edward so completely. I sunk back down into my pillow and began to make myself comfortable. "Night, Dad."

"Get some sleep, Bells." He walked towards the door, but stopped a bit short and turned back toward the bed. "Don't forget that we're having breakfast with your mother at nine."

"I remember," I said while a yawn escaped my lips. My head had barely hit the pillow before I quickly joined Edward in the land of Nod.

*~PNP~*

Cool skin slowly ran up the length of my thigh while smooth lips pressed lightly against my neck, pulling me from my thankfully dreamless slumber. Edward's hard body was pressed against mine, molding to fit perfectly into the back of me. This was a much better way to wake up, with the sunlight streaming in through the window panes and a very awake boyfriend lavishing affection on me, instead of seeing my father in his pajamas with his bed head relaying an irritating phone call from a grumpy Indian in the dead of the night.

"Good morning," he whispered, placing another lingering kiss right behind my ear as he firmly gripped my hip and pulled me tight against his hard body. "Sleep well?" Edward could ignite fires inside of me with such simple touches, but I was so exhausted after a restless night.

I rolled over and snuggled into his arms, finally opening my eyes before quickly slamming them shut again to block out the unusually bright sunlight. "Not really. Not as good as you did obviously."

Edward chuckled softly, and he smoothed my hair down with soothing strokes. "As long as I'm lying next to you, I will always sleep well."

"But aren't you sick of sleeping?" I began to shiver lightly from the cold seeping from his body into mine through our clothing. But I couldn't be bothered to move away.

"I'm a bit worried that I can't protect you at night if something should happen. But it's nice to…" Edward began to rub my back, "…have peace and quiet inside my head after all these years. When I'm asleep, there's no one inside but me."

His voice was calming and smooth while he confessed his deepest feelings. I melted further into the bed and his chest, struggling to stay awake.

"Bella?"

"Hmm?" The sound of my voice was muffled by Edward's body and the mattress.

"You'll suffocate if you try to burrow any further underneath me."

But I'd die happy, and I didn't really care at that moment. Between his scent and his ability to shelter me from reality, I'd never resurface if I could help it. "What time is it?" I asked from my safe place. "Is Charlie still here?"

The bed shifted lightly as he moved to grab what I assumed was his phone to check the time. "It's eight, and he left five minutes ago."

After exhaling forcefully, I had to push my way back out into the fresh air. "Ugh, I have to meet Mom and Dad for breakfast. And I really need a shower." I crawled off the bed and began slowly removing my clothes. Edward sat motionless in bed, watching as I undressed. "Are you just going to sit there with your mouth hanging open or are you going to join me?"

Turns out I didn't have to ask him twice. He jumped out of bed, stripped off his clothes, and threw me over his shoulder in such quick succession that I found myself in our small bathroom a few seconds later. I brushed my teeth while Edward started the shower and gathered fresh towels.

As I relaxed under the water, the warm spray melting some of the tension out of my body from the restless night, I remembered to tell Edward about the phone call from the Quileutes. "Billy Black called Charlie while you were sleeping. They know that Mike's back in town, and they're pissed off as usual."

Edward continued to wash my body while he responded. "Mike must have crossed their land. I'm sure Carlisle will have filled him in on all of the rules last night while the family hunted."

"But why _is_ he back?" I asked as I switched places with Edward so he could stand under stream of water. I added more body wash to the scrubber so I could lather him up just like he had done to me.

"There's something odd about Mike's thoughts. Most people jump around inside their head, they don't focus on one thing. When I listened in as he spoke to Carlisle yesterday, Mike was very single minded—like he was purposefully keeping me from seeing anything else inside of his head."

I continued to wash Edward's back while he washed the front. We'd never leave the house and I wouldn't make it to breakfast if I went anywhere near there. "What about Victoria and Laurent? Why's he here alone?"

Edward ducked his head under the water and turned around to rinse the soap off his back. His expression was serious as he turned me around, poured shampoo into his hand, and began lathering my hair. "That's the one thing where we have something to contradict what he was saying." His fingers massaged my scalp as he washed my hair, and I relaxed as he continued. "He told Carlisle that he simply left them and traveled here on his own, but Alice had a vision where the bodies of Victoria and Laurent were in pieces."

We switched places again so I could rinse the shampoo from my hair. "But Alice has no idea when this vision takes place?"

"Well, no. But it makes sense that Mike did this right before he came here yesterday with how possessive Victoria was of Mike whenever we encountered them before. She saw him as a replacement as her mate, for James."

"That's reasonable." I turned off the water. "So Victoria and Laurent are dead? We don't have to worry about them anymore?"

Edward stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist, drops of water lazily cascading down his muscular body onto the rug below him. "We can't be sure they're dead unless they were burned. Either Mike doesn't know that, or he just didn't bother."

"Alice hasn't had any other visions?" I asked as he helped dry the water from my body. I wrapped the towel around myself, and walked to my room. Edward followed close behind.

"Not as of last night. While you have breakfast with your parents, I'm going home to find out the latest news."

Our conversation flowed easily, the questions and answers coming naturally. Our relationship was in such a great place, we continued to dress and keep up the discussion as we made our way downstairs.

"So basically, Mike's come back to Forks and wants to be a Cullen, is what you're telling me." I grabbed the spare set of house keys from the hook by the back door as we walked through the kitchen, checking to make sure the back door was locked.

"Yes."

"And we're all supposed to play along like we're fine with that?" I asked, my voice expressing my doubts about that plan of action. Our lives were really good right now—everything was finally settled, content, and somewhat predictable. And I was perfectly happy with that at the moment.

Edward simply nodded and held the front door open for me as I walked out of the house ahead of him. I locked the door, and I handed him the key ring. The sky had turned from full sun to mostly cloudy quickly, typical Forks weather. It was nice while it lasted.

"What's this?" He dangled the key ring from his finger, almost as if the plated metal was burning his skin.

"Those are _your_ house keys. Apparently Charlie doesn't like you sneaking in through the window to sleep with his daughter every night. You can use the front door like a respectable person."

A small smile played across Edward's lips as his eyes lit up. "Charlie finally came into your room this morning when he got that phone call, didn't he?" He slipped the keys into the pocket of his jeans, and wrapped an arm around my waist as we walked down the stairs.

"Yeah, but he didn't seem so surprised. I think he finally accepts you…completely accepts us." I turned around and leaned against the driver's side door of my truck, searching his eyes for a reaction. And all I saw was pure, unadulterated joy. Unexpectedly, I was lifted and spun through the air safely into Edward's embrace, both of us laughing. Everything was finally perfect for us.

Setting me back on my feet, he smiled down at me before gently kissing my lips. "I love you, Bella. Now get to breakfast, we don't need to give Charlie a reason to hate me again this soon." The goofy grin didn't leave his face as I drove away, and I watched him in my rear view mirror until I could no longer see our driveway.

The drive to the restaurant was short, maybe fifteen minutes. We hadn't been back there in months—not since the dinner from hell where Billy interrogated me and Victoria attacked my father in the parking lot. This must have been my mother's choice, since both my father and I avoided this place like the plague because it triggered too many bad memories. Well, that wasn't entirely true—driving the police cruiser had been kind of fun. If it wasn't under such stressful circumstances, the experience would have been much different.

Edward and I had a fun and productive morning, even if it was crammed into just forty-five minutes, and this left me in an optimistic mood. As I drove along the tree-lined highway, I turned the radio on to enjoy some excellent sounding music thanks to Emmett's present from my last birthday. The display flashed that a CD was in the player, so I hit the button when my curiosity got the best of me. And quite frankly, I couldn't take the blinking of the blue light anymore.

_Belllllla_. Emmett's voice boomed out of my speakers. I jumped in my seat and scrambled to turn the volume down. _Here's a CD of my favorite music. I made this just for you. I think you, and especially Edward, will appreciate it—if you know what I'm saying. _I shook my head, smiling to myself as I pictured Emmett waggling his eyebrows as he spoke that last part. I could only imagine what was on this CD. How long had this been in here anyway? A few seconds of silence followed before some kind of techno-pop music filled the air inside my truck and an overly digitized woman's voice broke out. I recognized the music, and more importantly the song. It was the song that Emmett and Rosalie liked to put on when they went to be "alone." I didn't know whether to be flattered or grossed out that he'd share his favorite music to have sex to with me and Edward.

I didn't have time to contemplate Emmett's motivations because my mood instantly turned south as I pulled into the restaurant's parking lot. Jacob and Billy Black were sitting inside of their pickup truck. They weren't being inconspicuous with the way they were double parked and blocking several cars in their spaces so close to the front of the restaurant. The Blacks wanted to be seen, and I hoped that they hadn't bothered my father when my mother was present. She didn't need to be involved with any of the supernatural politicking and mudslinging Billy was sure to spew.

Charlie's cruiser sat empty in a parking spot, so he and my mother must already be inside waiting for me. I parked next to my father's car, slammed my door, and walked quickly over to their truck. I waited impatiently with a large scowl on my face for Jacob to roll his window down. Jacob actually greeted me with a smile while his father gave me the usual death glare.

"Hey, Jake. Long time no see." I softened my harsh expression for Jacob. In all of the months since he'd been a wolf, he wasn't the one to instigate any problems. Billy Black has always been the source of any trouble thrown our way.

"Bella," he replied with a small smile.

I didn't get a greeting from Billy, he just launched straight into his tirade. "The blood sucker that kills randomly is back, and your family of leeches is harboring him. This is unacceptable."

"Nice to see you too, Billy." I bit back the names I really wanted to call him, telling myself that it wouldn't be productive to goad him on. "And as my father told you when you so rudely called in the middle of the night, this is something that you need to speak with Carlisle about. The last time I checked, Charlie and I aren't a part of the treaty, so we don't need to answer any of your questions."

Jacob stared mutely through the windshield while his father's eyes grew darker by the second and his face turned red. "But you seem to know all about what's going on with them, and you're content with being their whore."

"Dad, isn't that taking this a little far—"

Even though Jacob was standing up for me, I didn't need him to do that. I was going to stand up for myself. I interrupted Jacob before he could say any more. "Just shut up, Billy. You have no idea what you are talking about. Your ignorance, prejudice, and need to control every little thing is going to create a situation that shouldn't exist." I'd hit my breaking point with this small minded man, and I wasn't going to be used as a go-between anymore.

Billy's mouth was so tight, his lips formed a grim straight line, but he didn't respond to my words.

"We're obviously done here," I said to the most stubborn, arrogant man I'd ever met. "Bye, Jake." I turned and walked away, anger painting my face as I stomped into the restaurant.

Pausing inside the door, I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm down. My mother was flying back to Jacksonville later today, and I didn't want to end such a nice visit on a bad note. I sent a quick text to Edward, letting him know about what happened with Billy Black. If history was any indicator, Alice had freaked out when I disappeared from her sight when Jacob was so close. There was no point in letting them worry about me needlessly.

"Bells…" my father called out over the din of the other diners, "…over here."

I forced a smile onto my face and walked towards their table. Even Mom and Dad got along easily after all these years of separation. I pushed the unease out of my head, and decided to enjoy breakfast with my parents.

**Edward POV**

Content, happy, peaceful. I was all of those things at that moment. And I didn't really feel like going home, where I knew every single one of those emotions would be erased as soon as I was within hearing range of my family. Bliss was sleeping next to Bella, total silence in my head, having nothing but pleasant dreams. Heaven would be waking up next to her in an empty house with no one around for miles, where we could make love uninterrupted and just do whatever we wanted.

The cell phone came to life in my pocket, a single tone indicating a text message was waiting. I continued walking towards home at a slow human pace through the forest while I looked at the message from Alice.

_Were the Blacks having breakfast with Bella & Parents? She disappeared. –A_

I was wrong about my family wrecking my mood, it was the meddling wolves that got that honor. Before I could call Alice instead of messaging her back, another text arrived on my phone. This one was from Bella.

_Ambushed by Billy Black, got 3rd degree about Mike. Handed him his ass & told him to talk to Carlisle. With Mom & Dad now. Love You. _

Bella's message made me smile. She'd grown quite spunky over these past months, and I'm sure she did hand Billy Black his ass, as she put it. I couldn't wait to hear all about it. I texted Alice to let her know that Bella was fine, and that I was on my way home. It was time to see how Mike was adapting to the Cullen lifestyle.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Thank you for reading and welcome to another chapter of Push and Pull. Erikasbuddy and Masenjar offered their usual services with a smile, and I'm very grateful. S. Meyer owns the characters, I'm twisting them into my own idea of how New Moon should have went. No infringement intended.**

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**Chapter 25**

**Edward POV**

The forest was eerily calm, so much so that I didn't want to step out into the clearing where my house stood and reenter the crazy world that was my family life. Maybe no one would miss me if I just stood out here and waited until Bella and her mother arrived after breakfast? Over the last twelve hours or so, I'd actually had a pleasant and peaceful time, both with Bella and now on my own. Unfortunately, the time had come for my self-imposed solitude to end, and I needed to just suck it up and walk into the house.

Having the thoughts of seven vampires inside of my head again after so many hours of relative silence was almost painful. As I walked in the front door, I stopped just inside of the doorway and closed my eyes, acclimating to the discomforting fullness.

"Edward's home," Alice said from somewhere on the second floor. _I have to see how excited he is about the keys to Bella's house._

"Now don't go bothering him right when he's walking in the door," Jasper whispered to his wife. "Give him some time." At least one of my brothers had a sense of the right way to handle things around here.

Emmett, on the other hand, didn't seem to acknowledge that I was even home. His focus never left the television and the game controller in his hand as he played some first person shooter game with Mike in the family room. All I heard as I walked through the room towards the stairs was Emmett loudly calling "Take that, bitch," over the strains of machine gun fire. Mike, who was now sporting burnt orange colored eyes, at least had the decency to say hello as I walked through the room. I simply nodded in return. Just because he was staying at our house didn't mean I had to be overly friendly to the interloper. I'll never trust him.

Just as I reached the top of the stairs, Esme called out to me from the bedroom she shared with Carlisle. "Do you have a second, Edward?"

The door was ajar, and I pushed it open all the way before I entered their private space. This was a room that I'd seldom had reason to enter before. Like the rest of the house, it had Esme's trademark design style all over it, or at least whatever she was into at the moment—dark woods, warm colors, soft linens. But what really drew my attention was the table overflowing with books next to one side of the king size bed. Based on the abundance of very old texts and the titles in foreign languages, Carlisle was hitting the research hard.

"What time will Bella and Renee be arriving?" Esme asked while I was reading through the titles of the books piled up by the bed. She walked out of the bathroom, Carlisle following close behind her.

"Probably in an hour or so." My eyes were drawn to the books again, and I couldn't help but ask about them. "What are you—"

"Just some leisurely reading," Carlisle interrupted me. _I've been looking for any instances of an ability such as Mike's in our histories, _he added mentally. _And any instances of vampires sleeping._

"Okay, if you don't need anything else, I'll be in my room until Bella and her mother arrive." I turned to go, but Carlisle started to speak again.

"Actually, Edward, Billy Black called the hospital and had the call service page me. Could you please sit in on the call in the library in a few minutes? I think we've let them wait long enough." Carlisle turned to Esme and winked. It was then that I finally noticed the rumpled bed sheets and their wet hair. And I needed to leave before thinking about those things further.

"Sure, I'll meet you downstairs." I just wanted to pass the time until Bella was here again by reading a book, but everyone else had other plans for how I should spend those minutes.

I made it into the library, and I was browsing through some of Carlisle's older texts before Alice's desperate voice popped into my head again. _Now, Edward, please don't get mad._

A sigh escaped my lips and my shoulders sank. I'd been home for about ten minutes by this point, and I was already so irritated with my family. All I had to do was think about answering my sister out loud, and she could see it happening with her gift. _Get mad about what, Alice? _Even my thoughts sounded as fed up and on edge as I was again.

_You hadn't even worn them yet, but they were hanging in your closet so they were technically yours. But Emmett's too big and Jasper's too short, and—_

I tuned out Alice's quick succession of rambling thoughts at the sound of Mike's voice growing louder as he walked through the house. "Emmett, bro, I'm hungry. And I promised Mom and Dad that I'd visit them today. Plus, I have to get some of my own clothes that I left back at the house."

Closing my eyes, I found myself grinding my teeth together and gripping the arms of the chair that I sat in tightly. It groaned in protest under the pressure.

"Edward's threads just aren't doing it for me, ya know? Although they do smell pretty good."

That comment was the final straw. I flew out of the chair and was in front of a stunned Mike and Emmett in less than a second. "That's because they smell like my girlfriend, asshole." Our little tryst in the closet yesterday must have left Bella's scent all over the clothing that Mike now wore.

"Whoa there, sparky. Simmer down." Emmett held me back with two hands on my chest. "No need to get your panties in a bunch."

Mike didn't even flinch as I seethed a foot away from him. "Sorry man, just stating the facts. A mountain lion shredded my clothes last night, so Alice gave me something to wear." He slid around Emmett and disappeared into the kitchen, and the sound of the back door slamming followed a few seconds later.

_You've got to calm down and play the game, Edward._ Emmett clamped a hand on my shoulder. _I've got to keep an eye on the idiot._ "We'll be back later." He turned and walked down the hallway. "Hey, wait up, Mike."

I went back into the library and waited for Carlisle. This day was going downhill fast.

"I told you not to get mad. Now Mike's going to kill his parents because you pissed him off. He'll get blood stains on those fabulous clothes. And Charlie will hate you again because he'll have two more unsolved murders making him look like a crappy Police Chief." Alice's voice was flat and even during her monologue.

"I'm really beginning to think that knowing the future isn't that big of an asset, Alice, so you better be joking."

She stepped further into the room, daring to get closer. "Dear brother, like I wouldn't be able to see you coming."

"But _I_ could always get Jacob Black to hang around. He does seem to get along pretty well with Bella…"

She sucked in a large breath and moved right in front of me, her hands firmly on her hips. "You wouldn't dare—"

"Try me," I countered, smirking back at her.

"Enough," Carlisle boomed from the doorway. "Alice—you better be kidding about Mike slaughtering his parents."

The somewhat playful look on Alice's face fell as Carlisle walked past her and sat behind his desk. "I wasn't serious. His visit will be uneventful. Emmett and Mike actually find them at the store, so their actual face time is short."

"That's probably for the best. I'm surprised that Mike hasn't cut ties with his parents completely." Carlisle picked up a scrap of paper. As he dialed the phone, he continued speaking, "We're done here, Alice."

She wordlessly walked from the room and shut the door behind her just as the ringing of the phone sounded over the speaker. From the grim set of Carlisle's mouth and the tone of Bella's text message earlier, I knew that this call with Billy Black wasn't going to be pleasant.

The phone rang six times before someone answered the line. It figured that the wolves wouldn't have voicemail. "Took you long enough to get back to us. I guess the treaty with our tribe isn't important?"

"The answering service at the hospital takes a while to get messages to me, Mr. Black. What can I do for you?" Carlisle didn't try very hard to sound cordial. And he didn't even know about Bella and Charlie's encounters with the Quileute elder this morning. But there was no time to tell him now that the man was already on the line.

"We've detected one of your kind on our land, and Chief Swan has confirmed that he is under your protection."

"Michael Newton has asked to stay with us for a while, that's true. But why are you asking the Chief of Police about these things?" Carlisle's voice remained even while his thoughts were painted red.

Billy Black ignored the question. "That blood sucker has killed too many humans in the area. Are you forgetting that he kidnapped Bella Swan?" His voice grew louder as he spoke. "And you're going to shelter this beast, keeping him close so he can do this all over again? You may hide behind the guise of not killing humans, but they obviously aren't high on your list of priorities if you're harboring a murderer."

This bitter, angry man was the voice of reason on this topic, in my opinion. I didn't think there was any basis for letting Mike live. He'd hurt Bella, tried to steal her away from me, from Charlie. And I didn't care what his intentions were. I didn't trust him at all, and this was a dangerous game that my family was playing by keeping him near.

Carlisle took a deep breath before answering the man's accusations. "He consumes only animals now, and he knows that he cannot be on Quileute lands. If he steps out of line, we will be the ones to put him back in line."

I couldn't stop the large smile that spread across my face as I thought of knocking Mike back in line. I'd like to be first one in that line, please.

"What of the others that travel with him? He wasn't the only one plowing through the humans in the area several months ago."

"He is here alone," Carlisle answered simply. "We have the situation handled, and I'd appreciate it if there was no interference on your end."

"We will do anything to protect our people," he growled into the phone. "If a vampire so much as bites a human in this area again, consider the treaty broken. You've been warned, and you're only getting one chance."

The line clicked, and a dial tone soon filled the dead air. Billy Black had hung up on Carlisle, leaving our coven with a dire warning hanging over the dead line.

"That went well," I said, sarcasm lacing my voice. "When can we kill Mike and make this entire situation go away?"

A pained expression flashed across Carlisle's eyes before he answered. "You know I won't allow that. We aren't sure what his plans are yet."

Suddenly, Alice stormed into the room, a determined look on her face as she projected a vision at me. Bella's house flashed in the distance, and as the perspective sped toward the home at lightning speed, the focus came to rest on my and Bella's sleeping forms snuggled together upon her bed. The scene then swept into her father's room, where his body lay face down in a pool of blood on the floor.

A strangled sob escaped Alice's lips, and Carlisle quickly closed the distance between them and helped her to a chair. I sat in silence, too stunned by what the vision could mean to speak.

"Explain what you saw," he said, looking straight at me. When neither of us spoke, anger flashed in his eyes. "Now!"

The pain that rippled through my chest consumed me, and I slammed my eyes shut. I couldn't speak, I couldn't think. Shutting down was all I could do at that moment to try to make the pain go away—the feeling of helplessness was too much.

"Someone's going to kill Charlie while Bella and Edward are sleeping in the next room," Alice sobbed.

"So we station someone at the house each night." Carlisle sat behind his desk again. The leather chair creaked as he leaned back slightly.

Words finally found me again, and I spoke. "Everyone is needed to keep an eye on Mike. He's probably behind this."

Alice continued to sob quietly, but she sat unmoving in the same chair that Carlisle had led her to.

"Alice?"

Her eyes swept to Carlisle's face, but the rest of her remained slumped in the chair. I'd never seen her react so emotionally to a vision before. I knew that she loved Bella like a sister, but I didn't realize before that moment just how deeply she cared for Bella's father as well.

"Do you see what happens if someone keeps watch on their house at night?" I tapped into Alice's mind and watched as she honed in as the vision began again. It started the same way, a long sweep up the street and into Bella's bedroom. But this time, the focus came to Charlie in a pool of blood in his bed first. An unmistakable bite mark on his neck was the only wound visible on his unnaturally pale body. The vision then shifted to her bedroom.

An anguished cry escaped Alice at the same time a pained growl erupted from my throat. As I slept with my back towards the middle of the bed, the white t-shirt on my back was stained deep red with Bella's blood. Her dismembered body lay next to mine, and whoever killed her made sure that she could not be changed if I awoke and discovered her with enough life left for the conversion to take place.

Jasper had heard his wife's cries, and he appeared at her side when he felt she couldn't take the visions any longer. "You're done with Alice for the day." He helped her stand up, slipped an arm around her waist, and led her from the room as she sobbed into his shoulder.

"I'll have to protect Bella and Charlie," I said through gritted teeth.

"What changed if someone guarded the house at night?" Carlisle asked. His face was full of worry, and the stress of this situation was beginning to show in his concerned brow.

"Both Charlie and Bella will die. And I'll be helplessly sleeping the entire time." Images of Bella's broken body flashed through my mind, and I had to shake my head to force them from my consciousness. This hadn't happened, and I wouldn't let it happen.

Carlisle sat silently for a few minutes, but his thoughts whirled fervently in his head. He quickly went through so many different scenarios to protect Bella and Charlie while keeping Mike in the dark that I gave up following them.

After he mentally vacillated between several options until I spoke up. "I think it's time for me to wake up again, and Mike has the information we need to make that a reality."

Carlisle nodded, opened a drawer in his desk, and took out a notepad that was covered in copious notes written in his neat script. "I've been thinking about the after-effects of Michael's power on a vampire. If what he says can be believed, he only slept for several hours after the first exposure that you forced upon him in the woods. Once he woke up, he gorged himself on human blood, and then he's never slept again."

I saw where his line of thinking was headed, and I had been contemplating those facts myself since I'd heard them come out of Mike's mouth after he arrived back in Forks. "But it's not like I haven't been drinking human blood, Carlisle. You don't have to pretend that I haven't been drinking from Bella for months." My family had been using the "out of sight, out of mind" philosophy when it came to my feeding habits. As long as they never saw me with red eyes, they didn't give my diet a second thought. Plus, I never wanted to flaunt the fact that I could imbibe in the forbidden fruit and not lose control in front of my family members.

"We didn't want to pry. You and Bella have acted responsibly," Carlisle said, but he kept his eyes on the paper as he scanned his notes. "You've never come home with the tell-tale signs of feeding from Bella, and she has never appeared injured."

I scoffed. "I'm not crazy. Charlie knows what red eyes on a vampire means. You were there when he freaked out about catching us red handed months ago." Having your girlfriend's parents come home after you'd both just lost your virginities was embarrassing enough, but having her father catch you hiding in the bathroom with red eyes because you'd drunk from said girlfriend before deflowering her out of wedlock? I didn't think there was a scale for how humiliating such an experience was, especially when you added in the fact that Charlie called Carlisle thinking that I'd be in even more trouble.

Carlisle nodded his head again while he searched for a pen in another desk drawer. He flipped to a clean, unmarred page, and then looked to me expectantly. "I'd like to track this process so we can better understand everything, but I need to ask you a few questions about your activities with Bella first."

"Sure," I replied. I leaned back in the chair and stretched my legs out, knowing that we'd be here for a while. He was a scientist first and foremost, and he was always thorough in the name of science.

He quickly scrawled something on the top of the paper, looking to me when he was finished. "How often do you drink from the human subject?"

"Keeping it totally impersonal, I see." I laughed, but the serious look on his face sobered my humor quickly. "About once a week."

While writing down my answer, he asked another question. "And about how much would you say you ingest each time?"

"Hmm," I stalled. I really had no clue how to answer this. I drank until I felt the intense burn in my throat begin to ease, and the other urges took over. "I really don't know."

Carlisle leveled his eyes at my face, scrutinizing my features. "If you could guess…maybe mouthfuls?" He looked more closely at my mouth, and I'd swear he was calculating the volume of liquid it could hold.

Thank God Bella wasn't here, this was already feeling a bit too personal even though Carlisle was being completely clinical and professional. She would be beet red by now. I shifted in the chair, and I grew so uncomfortable that I had to look away. "Um…maybe four or five the last time it happened?"

More scribbling on that infernal piece of paper. Why didn't Carlisle just join modern society and use a computer like everyone else in the world? Hell, he could even record this conversation on an ancient tape recorder and be more technologically up to date than he was right now.

"When was the last time you fed from her?"

I took a deep breath, trying to clear the annoyance from my body. "Last night, before the graduation party."

He finally carefully dropped the pen to the desktop and folded his hands over the pad of paper. Carlisle's demeanor changed from professional to parental in one second flat. "That's what you two were doing in your room before the party?"

_Shit. _ I should have just answered last night, but I was used to being completely honest with him about everything. Censoring myself was new, and I was obviously very bad at it. "She offered—it was a celebration," I defended myself.

Laughter erupted from his serious face, and I knew he wasn't mad. At least he wasn't thinking about being angry at the moment. He was disappointed, however, that we'd engage in that with a house full of vegetarian vampires. "And we all thought you two just couldn't wait to be alone."

I smiled. "Well, drinking from Bella makes me calm enough to handle being intimate with her without hurting her, as it turns out." Not to mention the fact that she loves it when I bite her. But no one can know that. If anyone found out, we'd be in serious trouble. And I swear that I've been able to hear snippets of her thoughts sometimes when we're together. But those instances have been rare.

Carlisle picked up the pen again and started to write on the pad. "Okay, let's get back to this. Afterwards, what did you do?"

"I hunted. It usually takes at least two larger animals to change my eyes back to the normal color." Since I was away when Mike showed up at our house yesterday, I'd unknowing left Bella vulnerable. At least my family was quick to react and had been able to protect her.

"Do you always hunt animals after drinking from Bella?" The notebook page was filled with his shorthand now. I didn't think I'd said that much, but I guessed he'd been writing down his theories and observations too.

"Within an hour or so. I've never wanted to take the chance of Charlie seeing me with red eyes again."

Carlisle leaned back in his chair and began to lightly tap the pen on the edge of the desk. "Here's what I want you to do first. The next time you're with Bella, drink the same amount you normally would. But don't follow it up with animal blood. Let her blood run its course."

I nodded, knowing that he'd have several stipulations to this. But I also began to wonder how I would avoid her father so he wouldn't see the truth in my eyes.

"And I want you to report to me how much you drank, how you feel, and how long until you get thirsty again. But most importantly, whether or not you sleep, and if you see changes in the tiredness you feel."

The slamming of the front door and the pounding of two different heartbeats announced the arrival of Bella and her mother. Our time for planning a way to rid my body of sleep drew to a close.

"We can beat this, Edward. Bella and Charlie will be safe."

I had to believe that it was possible, and we were fighting blind on this one right now with Alice removed from the mix. There was no way to know who the attacker was in her vision, or why the assault on Bella seemed to be so much more brutal and personal than the one on Charlie.

A scent that was unmistakably Bella swept into the library before the door slowly opened. "I'm not interrupting, am I?"

"Not at all," Carlisle said, rising from his chair and leaving the room.

Bella walked over to me, and the smile on her face faded as she took in the serious expression on mine. "Why so glum?" she asked as she sat on my lap.

I wrapped my arms around her waist and buried my face in her neck. As I breathed in her scent, keeping my eyes closed, all of our troubles melted away for a few precious seconds.

"Edward? What's wrong?"

"Carlisle just talked to Billy Black, and things didn't go so well." I pulled her more tightly to me.

"That man is a menace." Bella melted into my embrace, and she curled around my body more closely too. "I'm not sure what kind of game he's playing, but I don't like that he's going through me and Charlie to get to you guys."

"We're not very comfortable with that either," I admitted. "Carlisle asked him why he called your father to ask about Mike being on their land, but he just ignored the question." I felt my body growing warm wherever hers touched mine. If only we could stay like this and ignore the outside world forever.

Bella pulled away so she could see my face. "Hopefully he'll leave us alone now. You should have seen his face when I told him off. He was so pissed." She laughed lightly. "But I feel sorry for Jacob, though. He doesn't seem to be black-hearted like his father. Jake even stood up for me when his father called me a—"

"Bella," Renee's voice called out from the hallway, cutting off whatever horrible thing that wretch called my girlfriend.

She looked towards the door and shifted to get off my lap, but I gently pulled her back so she straddled me. "What did he call you?" I prodded.

Bella returned her focus to me, and she swallowed before she answered. "You know what? His opinion doesn't matter. Esme and I have to get my mom to the airport or she'll miss her flight."

Damn her silent mind. How dare the Quileute Elder involve Bella when he had no right to approach her for information? As her mother's footsteps grew closer, our short time alone together grew to a close. "Come here," I whispered and snaked my hand around the back of her neck, gently pulling her head forward so our lips met. Her mouth was warm, welcoming, and soft. But this quickly grew out of control when the kiss turned possessive and devouring.

Bella whimpered as I dragged her hips towards mine, and we both forgot where we were. But a feminine voice cleared their throat, and we froze in place.

"You two should be thankful that I'm the one interrupting you instead of Renee and Esme." Rosalie tapped her foot, waiting for a response from the both of us. "You two can hump later. Renee wants to say goodbye to you Edward, and it would probably be best if you didn't hug her with raging a hard on."

Leave it to my sister to ruin a romantic moment.

**Laurent POV**

Immense pain ripped through my body, and darkness filled my vision. Opening my eyes proved hard to do, but once I managed to keep them open, I was horrified by the sight before me. Trying to stand on the cold, wet ground and finding it impossible, I could only roll to the left, but the movement was anything but smooth due to large chunks of debris littering the ground. Looking down, Victoria's limbless torso and partially decapitated head blocked my path, her arms and legs piled in a heap along with my body.

After checking over my own body with my working left arm, I found that I was broken, but mostly intact. The cracks and breaks were starting to knit themselves together, and once I was whole enough again I turned to focus on her broken body. What had happened? What had attacked us, and more importantly where was Michael?

Victoria was not going to be happy that the boy was gone. Over the past months, she had finally grown less volatile, even somewhat pleasant to be around. The three of us had travelled all around the world, seeing the sights, keeping a low profile, enjoying what the world had to offer, and most importantly, being a part of society again. That was something that I had missed the most while being a part of a coven with James and Victoria. The Nomad lifestyle needed not be so isolating, it could be one of elegance, style, and power. But James' desire to track bigger and better prey had forced us into the dark recesses of the wilderness and society, keeping hidden and on the outskirts of civilization. I wasn't sure that type of life was the best for a woman whose psyche was precariously on the edge such as Victoria.

I quickly set to work, lining up the pieces of her body to make her whole again when she awoke. The process had been painful enough for me, and I was merely cracked and twisted. She was ripped apart, and the process of reattachment was going to be agonizing. I made quick work of her neck and repeated the process with my venom on all other major breaks, but the healing did not start. Maybe she was truly dead and I was finally free.

A feral scream broke free from her mouth, and I froze in place as I watched her reawaken. The fractures and injuries slowly started to heal once she had started to reanimate. I quickly bent over her face so she could see me and know that she wasn't alone. "Victoria—"

Another loud shriek erupted from her mouth as her panicked eyes met mine.

"I will help put you back together, but you have to stop moving."

A choked sob stuck in her healing throat, but her movements stilled. As quickly as I could, I made Victoria whole again.

"Where's Mike?" were the first intelligible words out of her mouth, not a "thank you, Laurent."

"His body is not here, and there's no sign of him. Do you remember what happened? I woke up just as you did."

She jumped to her feet and frantically began searching the landscape for her lover. "The last thing that I remember was walking with you two, and then nothing, followed by waking up with the most horrible pain."

"That's all that I remember too." I did recall Michael saying that he needed to make a phone call to his parents soon, but I didn't know whether or not he actually did so.

"What the hell is going on? This can't be the work of the Volturi. We haven't broken any laws."

"And they never would have left us alive," I added.

"Someone's taken him, I'm sure of it." Her voice was full of worry, and she took off running.

"Victoria," I called after her. When I caught up to her, I asked, "Where are we headed? Surely we must feed before we do anything."

She didn't answer. Red hair blowing straight out behind her, she continued to sprint, and I had no choice but to follow after her. I had a bad feeling about this rash decision. Something about this scenario didn't add up.

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**Surprised to see that Victoria and Laurent are still alive? Mike didn't know that you needed to burn them to make sure they wouldn't come back, poor clueless vampire. Drop me a line and tell me what you think. Is Mike on the up and up, does he really want to go vegan or is he up to no good? Will Edward's attempt at waking up go smoothly? See you next time.**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Huge thanks to Erikasbuddy and Masenjar. No copyright infringement intended.**

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**Chapter 26**

**Alice POV**

"I'm scared, Jasper." As I snuggled into my husband's side on our bed, listening to everyone say their goodbyes to Bella's mother downstairs, I couldn't help but vocalize my feelings out loud—even though I knew he could feel even the tiniest emotion.

He pulled me to his body more tightly, placing a kiss to the top of my head. "I know you are, darling. But what's got you more worked up, the visions or their endless demands to know the ever changing future?"

I remained silent as I seriously mulled over his question. I'd tried to keep from replaying the vision of Charlie's murdered body over and over again in my mind ever since I'd first had it earlier, but it flew uncontrollably before my eyes just like a movie. Nothing had changed from the original version—Charlie was still dead while Edward and Bella slept peacefully in the next room. Edward and Carlisle must have decided against having the family guard Bella's house at night after Jasper had taken me away from the library when I'd become too emotional to carry on. I was supremely grateful to my husband for pulling me out of there. Reliving that vision again punched a hole in my stomach, making me feel a searing pain that I never imagined feeling from the loss of a human life.

"Alice?"

I must have remained quiet too long, and I'm sure the emotional pain coming from me was confusing Jasper. "Sorry. The vision of Charlie dead is just…" I trailed off, unable to form the right words to express how I felt about the potential premature loss of Bella's father. I really don't think that it was his time to die. And I'd do everything in my power to prevent it.

My husband sat up on the bed, pulling me upright with him. "Listen to me. No matter what the others plan on doing, I'll make sure that nothing happens to Charlie."

"You'll stick to him like glue?" I asked, moving in close so I didn't miss his promise.

He smiled. "Yes, mam. Just like crazy glue. No one will be able to pull us apart. This isn't like before, Bella trusts me now."

I returned his smile just before capturing his lips with mine. Jasper was the only person who could lift me up when these dismal visions sank me so low. I would have never survived as a vampire in those first years if I didn't know that he was unknowingly waiting for me. This man, right here in front of me, looking at me with nothing but concern, love, and understanding, was my own personal savior. And he was all I'd ever need. Being a part of the Cullen family was nice, but it didn't make me complete like my mate did.

"You're feeling better now?" Jasper rubbed my cheek softly with his fingertips before I pulled away.

"You know it." I grabbed his hand with mine and patted it reassuringly before letting go. "And I think that I'd like to go with Bella and Esme to see Renee off at the airport."

He chuckled lightly and shook his head. "Sure. I make you feel all better and you just abandon me. I see how it is." After he scooted off of the bed and stood on the floor, he offered a hand to me. "Just be careful."

Placing my hand into his outstretched one, he pulled me into his arms. "Always." The echoes of footsteps on the tile floor by the front door warned me that my time was running out. We shared another kiss before I walked toward our bedroom door and yelled, "Hold on, I'm going with you guys!" The front door slammed before I made it to the stairs, but that just gave me ample opportunity to use my vampire speed with Jasper close behind me.

We walked out the front door at a normal pace just as Edward was loading Renee's luggage into the trunk of Carlisle's Mercedes while Bella, Renee, Carlisle, and Esme chatted quietly amongst themselves. Since everyone was distracted, I slipped into the driver's seat and waited patiently. A quick vision floated in front of my eyes, followed by the real thing a few seconds later. I didn't wait for Edward to say the words out loud when he appeared at the side of the car, his hands firmly on the open window ledge, before I gave my response in my thoughts. He didn't expect me to travel with Bella and Esme. Instead, he'd expected me to stay behind and be interrogated like a prisoner and perform like a circus money as they hounded me with scenario after scenario of what ifs. Certainly not my idea of a fun weekend.

Everyone else got into the car, Esme next to me in the passenger side with Bella and her mother sitting in the back seat. I simply smiled and pushed the power window button, rolling the tinted glass up in front of his scowling face after he was forced to quickly pull his hands back. _I'm not a possible-future machine, Edward. You can't just stick a coin in the slot and have me spit out your fortune on a cute little strip of paper like we're on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City._

I navigated the car down our winding tree-lined driveway, finally making it out onto the empty mountain highway leading into Forks. The conversation was light between the four of us, and the pride was evident in the way that Renee talked about Bella and her future. _Bella's future, or lack thereof, if my visions were any indicator. _ I hadn't seen her as a vampire lately. No point in bringing that up, even though it greatly worried me.

Somewhere on a desolate stretch of road between of Forks and Port Angeles, another vision bubbled up without warning. It flashed before my eyes as I tried to look past it while I drove down the curving slope of pavement. _Victoria ran with purpose, and Laurent followed closely behind her, calling her name in vain. The terrain was sparse, barren._ "They're still alive," I whispered, shock filling my voice to finally know for sure.

Esme turned to look at me, and I met her questioning eyes with a shake of my own head and a quiet muttering of, "Later." Suddenly, a large buck darted onto the roadway, and I was forced to jerk the steering wheel to the right to avoid a collision. The car spun around, gravel crunching under the tires as we careened across the shoulder of the road. The lucky animal cleared the fender and pranced across the road and into the forest on the other side.

Two frantic heartbeats, both pounding like bass drums in the human chests behind me, reminded me to at least outwardly react to this unusual occurrence, even for a vampire. "Well, I'm not driving anymore." I unbuckled the useless seatbelt that I'd worn just for Renee's sake, and climbed out of the driver's side door, leaving it wide open. Standing on the side of the road, I peered into the back seat to make sure that Bella and her mother were alright.

Renee was gripping the leather seat for dear life with one hand and crushing her daughter's hand with the other so tightly that the skin on her knuckles was white. "This right here is why I live in an urban area where it's warm. Only have to worry about scorpions or gators down where we've lived."

Bella, who'd been sitting quietly in shock until that moment—just like Esme appeared to be—burst out into a fit of nervous laughter. The rest of us joined in, giggling until we were doubled over cutting the seriousness out of the situation. I was going to catch hell from Edward for this if he plucked this from one of our minds. Bella was lucky that she was like a steel trap when it came to his mind reading.

"We have to get going or Renee will miss her flight," Esme said before scooting over into the driver's seat, wiping a pretend tear away from her eye.

I slipped back into the car, relieved that if a vision came it wouldn't distract me from the road this time. Knowing that Edward and Carlisle needed to be informed about the status of the nomads, I discreetly texted them both about what I saw, omitting the run in we had with one very lucky buck—any other time he'd have been dinner. Leaning back in the seat and closing my eyes as if I was going to take a nap, I let the visions wash over me, hoping to find an answer in the many strings of the future.

**Bella POV**

"I love you, Mom." We hugged each other tightly in front of the security gate at Sea-Tac Airport. The visits that we did have together always seemed so short, and always left me with a lump in my throat and a heaviness in my chest whenever we were parting ways.

"Oh, I love you too, honey." She pulled away and adjusted her carry-on bag across her shoulder. "You all should come and visit Phil and me in Jacksonville. Never in my life have I seen a group of people who could use more sun than Bella."

Esme and Alice just smiled politely while I blushed uncomfortably knowing that a Cullen family vacation in Florida would never happen. "That sounds nice, Renee," Esme replied sweetly.

"Bye, Mom," I said, waving my hand as she disappeared into the security line. She blew me a kiss just like she did when I was a little girl right before she handed her identification and boarding pass to a TSA agent.

Once we were well on our way back to Forks, I remembered to prod Alice about what happened during the ride to the airport. "Mind telling us why you were driving like a mere human earlier?"

She turned around in the passenger seat so she could look directly at me. "Another pesky vision got in the way, that's all. Nothing to worry about." Her voice was overly cheerful and slightly dismissive. I'd been around long enough to know that I was getting the brush off.

"So you're pulling an Edward on me, is that it?"

Alice narrowed her eyes, knowing that I was on to her. "No, I don't want to do that to you. One of him is _plenty_ to go around." She climbed headfirst over the console and into the back seat, sliding to sit next to me. "I'll tell you what I saw. I'm just hesitant because I'm not sure of a time frame and I don't want to worry you."

I took my best friend's hand in mine, urging her to go on.

"It was a simple vision really—just Victoria and Laurent running in no man's land. They are obviously not dead."

I took a deep breath and held it while I connected the obvious dots. "Mike has to be the worst vampire. No one's told him the basics, have they?"

Esme spoke up from the front seat while she drove. "We think it's best that we don't give Mike any opportunity to properly defend himself while we're unsure of his motives."

Alice gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. "We can't be too cautious where he's concerned."

"And that's certainly a good strategy. But I don't get why he's at your house in the first place. Does it make sense to have him around and treat him like he's family when you've already said that you don't trust him?" I know that I still harbored feelings of distrust and ill will toward Mike. It didn't have to be spelled out in some big list. _How to not be on Bella's good side: 1. Kidnap her and leave her in a freezing disgustingly dirty cabin high up in the woods. _I didn't even need to add a number two to that list where Michael Newton was concerned.

"It's what Carlisle has decided, dear," Esme said from the front seat, effectively ending the conversation when I didn't bother to press further. I recognized that Carlisle's decision was the final word in this case.

Alice's gaze became unfocused, just like it did every time she had one of her visions. She stared at the back of the seat for the rest of the ride to Forks while I sat by her side, arms folded across my chest in defiance of their seemingly risky decisions and lack of explanations to justify them. Luckily, they let me have my break from being a mature adult and I was able to sulk like a child all the way back to their house.

I headed straight for Edward's bedroom as soon as the car pulled into the garage, barely waiting for a complete stop before manually unlocking the door and jumping out. Needing the comfort that only his touch could bring, I sought him out soon as I opened the door and paused in the threshold. But no one was inside, the bed was still made precisely, not one thing was out of place. The room was cold from the window left cracked open slightly to let fresh air inside, so I didn't linger and looked elsewhere in the house.

The library was the first place I thought to check, and it turned out to be the correct room. When I cracked the door open and looked inside, Carlisle was sitting behind his desk with a phone pressed to his ear. Edward had assumed the position as before we'd left for the airport—same chair, same tense expression. This time, I didn't wait for an invitation before quietly entering the room and sliding into the seat next to him.

"Thank you for calling, Tanya. Please let me know immediately if anything changes." Carlisle ended the phone call and gently placed it on the desk before turning his gaze on me. "Bella, did you have a nice trip to the airport?"

"It was fine," I replied tersely. There was no use expanding on anything that happened on our trip to deliver my mother to the airport. "I'm a bit tired, Edward. Can we go home?"

He looked to Carlisle, who nodded his head in agreement. Once in Edward's car and on the road, I noticed that his mood hadn't improved much. "Hey," I said, reaching out with my left hand to rub his leg. "What's going on in that head of yours?"

Edward relaxed slightly at my touch, and a slight smile played at his lips. "You know that Victoria and Laurent aren't dead."

"You told me. And Alice had a vision of them running while we were on the way to the airport." I squeezed his leg slightly, urging him to continue.

He quickly glanced at me, quirking an eyebrow as if he wondered what else we were keeping secret from him. Or maybe he was gauging what else Alice was telling me that he didn't want her to share. "Well, after we killed James, Victoria and Laurent separated. Laurent went to Alaska and spent time with the Denali coven. And that's where they are now…in Alaska. They called Carlisle to tell him that Laurent and Victoria showed up with signs of extensive injuries."

"But why would they call Carlisle?" What would really link Laurent or Victoria to the Cullens unless something was mentioned? An uneasy feeling started to build in my stomach.

"Victoria is claiming that we ripped them apart so we could kidnap Mike and make him one of us."

A laugh of disbelief erupted from my throat so fast that I snorted and started to choke. While Edward rubbed my back and drove at the same time, I tried to not think of the level of disillusionment that must be in Victoria's mind. "And why would we want him for ourselves? Does anyone actually believe that you wouldn't kill them the right way, not just shred them and leave them to reassemble themselves?" If the Cullens wanted more vampires to hang out with, I'm sure that they would pick higher quality human beings to change.

He sighed, pulling into the empty driveway in front of my house. "Irina is the only one who seems to believe whatever story Laurent is spewing up there right now, but luckily for us, the others are smart enough to be cautious."

We got out of the car, and Edward used his keys to unlock the front door for the first time. He smiled as he pushed the door open and let me enter first. Once I was safely inside and he'd locked the door behind us, I glanced around the too quiet and obviously empty house. "I wonder where Charlie went?"

Edward found a note on the kitchen counter next to the toaster, scribbled haphazardly on the back of a receipt for groceries. "Your father went on an overnight hunting and fishing trip with Harry. He'll be back tomorrow night." He set the note down on the counter before turning to me. "Kind of dangerous knowing what can lurk in the forests now, don't you think?"

The worry on my face must have been excruciating for Edward to witness, or at the very least he must have realized that he shouldn't have joked about that out loud. Suddenly, I was wrapped in his protective embrace while he called someone on his cell phone.

"Jasper, how's it going so far?" Edward listened for an answer before replying. "Good. Keep me posted."

"What's going on?" I asked, my words muffled by his shirt.

"Alice made Jasper promise to shadow Charlie earlier today. He's been following your father since you left for the airport."

I gasped. "But why would…" I pulled away from Edward as it dawned on me how they knew to keep an eye on Charlie. "Alice." I broke away from him and sat down on a kitchen chair. "Tell me, Edward. What exactly did she see?"

He wouldn't make eye contact, and my stomach started to churn. How bad could it be if he was reluctant to reveal the vision that Alice had involving my father? Would he lie just to protect me like he'd done in the past or were we finally past that point in our relationship like I thought we were?

"Edward," I prodded. "Just tell me. I have a right to know—to be prepared."

He closed the distance between us and knelt down on the balls of his feet. Only after gently taking my hands in his did he tell me of a vision where Charlie was murdered in his bedroom while Edward and I slept in the next room.

"And it seemed…it looked like a vampire did this to my dad?" I asked, a trembling to my voice as I struggled to understand why this would happen to my father and we would be unharmed.

"Yes." Edward stood up and started to walk back and forth nervously. "And that's why it's important that I don't sleep anymore, so I can protect both of you. Carlisle thinks that he's found a way to make that happen."

I stifled a yawn as my stomach growled, the unavoidable necessities of being human taking over. "I'll help you in any way that I can, but I have to take care of a few things first." I started to stand up when he finally stopped pacing and gently pushed me back down into the chair.

"Please relax, Bella. I'll make you a sandwich and explain Carlisle's plan while you eat. We'll follow it up with a nap. Sound good?" His tense expression had melted away and was replaced with one of hopefulness. Edward's tawny eyes were bright with expectation.

I reached forward and grabbed his hand. "That sounds perfect."

As he quickly prepared a simple sandwich, I thought aloud about the main problem with Alice's visions. "We never know when one of her visions is going to happen, do we?"

"Sometimes there are clues in the background, like a newspaper or clock. But it's harder now that everything is digital. It's not like everyone stands in front of a bank sign until it rolls around to the date and time before they go on their merry way." Humor permeated his voice as he chopped an apple for me. After adding it to the plate, he carried everything to the table and sat it in front of me.

"This is exactly what I needed. Thanks."

He leaned in for a kiss, lingering on my lips before smiling. "See, I can take care of you like this too."

Quirking an eyebrow, I challenged his observation. "As long as you don't actually have to really cook anything." I laughed lightly when his grin fell. "Anyway, I have an idea to help Alice with her vision of Charlie. I'll make a large calendar with my printer, hang it by my bed, and I can cross the days off. At least then she'll know what the date is whenever she gets a vision involving my bedroom."

Edward opened his mouth to say something when the ringing of his phone cut him off. "Yes, Alice," he answered. "I'll put you on speaker."

"Alice?" I said, wondering why she was calling so soon. I figured it would take a while before she would see the change in my room. I didn't even get around to hanging those sheets of paper on my wall yet.

"Thank you for being so smart, Bella. The events of the vision haven't changed, but we have two weeks before it occurs. Oh, and be prepared for Charlie, he'll be bringing home a ton of fish tomorrow. The house is going to smell really bad. Enjoy your night alone."

She ended the call abruptly, and I raised my eyebrows as I sighed at Edward. "That was fast. I don't think she can get away from her gift, and it's starting to worry me. She wasn't her usual happy self today."

"Alice is how she's always been, Bella. It's who she is." He waited for me to return to my food before he would continue. "Carlisle believes that Mike didn't have any problems with sleeping because his diet consists of humans."

"So does yours," I said as I took another bite.

"Yeah, but you're more like dessert." Edward smiled shyly and looked down at the table. "Most of my diet is really animals. Carlisle thinks that's the problem."

"Okay, so how are we going to do this? Charlie will freak out if he sees you with red eyes again." I finished my food and shoved the plate away from me on the table top.

"We'll have to play it by ear, but we'll just do what we normally do. And the next time I'm lucky enough to taste you, I have to report back to Carlisle how much and how long it stays in my system."

"It all sounds so clinical, but yet so Carlisle." Rising from the chair, I put my plate in the sink and turned back to Edward. "It's a plan."

He stood up and reached out his hand to me. "Now how about that nap?"

**Edward POV**

Lying next to Bella, relishing in her scent, her warmth, and listening to her slow, even breathing and the steady rhythm of her heartbeat for a few hours was my idea of heaven. Although I could sleep, it was only at night and I wasn't able to nap, so this was a taste of what life would be like again if drinking only her blood was successful. I had to believe that this would work because I needed to protect her, and by extension, I had to keep Charlie safe too. With only a few weeks to become a regular vampire again before the events of Alice's vision could play out, I couldn't afford for Carlisle's theory to be wrong. Why someone would want to harm Bella's father, I couldn't guess, but surely it was to inflict pain upon her.

She began to stir, pressing her backside into me as she stretched her limbs. Running my hand lightly up her thigh until I reached her hip, I pulled her closer into the growing hardness. "Bella," I whispered as I moved her hair away from her neck so I could place lingering kisses along the smooth, sensitive skin there.

"Hmm," she replied and turned around in my arms to face me. "You want to try it now?" Her hand blazed a trail of fire agonizingly slowly down my chest until she grazed my groin. "I'd say you're ready for something."

Clothes were quickly shed, and heated kisses were shared. Once there was nothing left between us, my gaze travelled across her body for just the perfect, unmarked spot. Virgin territory for a new beginning. Then I asked the most important question to see if she had the same idea. "Where?"

Her hand tentatively travelled to her neck and paused there, but she quickly thought better of it and pulled her fingers down along her body to the creamy skin of her thigh. I was glad she had picked the leg that hadn't been bitten recently. Something just didn't feel right about reopening old wounds.

Our lips met hungrily before I broke away, kissing a path down her body and breathing in the delicious scent of her blood and arousal as I got closer to the life force that could potentially break me free of the bonds of sleep. Bella leaned back, and she shivered lightly as I ran my hand along the spot I would strike. Placing a gentle kiss in forewarning on the skin puckered from my cool hands, my teeth sliced through the layers of tissue as if they were warm butter.

Immediately pulling my teeth back, Bella's hot blood sluggishly started to flow into my mouth. I fought with myself to let the venom spread as she writhed in pleasure while everything within me screamed to pull the sweet nectar into my body. After several moments I wasn't able to abstain any longer and I sealed my lips tightly around her leg, beginning to pull forcefully as her blood flooded my mouth. I swallowed one mouthful greedily and started on another. Her small gasps started to fade away as I took another pull. Strength that I only had when her essence was invading my body started to seep into every muscle. The next thing I knew, I'd had six full slugs of her deliciousness, conscious that I had to keep track for Carlisle's sake. But I didn't stop there because I had no idea how much I usually imbibed from Bella. At eight mouthfuls, she was finally grabbing at my head, trying to push me away from her leg.

"Edward, enough," she breathed as she tugged at my hair.

But the usual calm and lethargy that I felt after taking enough from Bella to soothe the burning in my throat had been met and then breeched, replaced with feelings of strength and a need to dominate. Still I reluctantly pulled away, my senses barely about me and I knew that I'd had enough. I quickly bandaged her leg as usual, hiding the temptation underneath layers of disgusting smelling antiseptic and sterile gauze. And I could still smell the sweet liquid permeating through those barriers, calling to me through the haze.

Moving up her body much more quickly than I normally would, Bella gasped when I was poised at her entrance and pressing into her mere moments later. She gripped my arms, hanging on tightly as I continued to thrust into her wet heat at a faster pace than normal.

"Oh, God," she moaned. "Don't stop."

That was all the encouragement I needed. I pulled her legs up higher onto my hips, angling deeper as I kept up the fast pace. No way was this going to last much longer. A light sheen of perspiration had broken out over Bella's beautiful, flawless skin. _Flawless except where you've mutilated her body. _And when I felt her begin to tense around me, I lost it too with a loud growl rumbling deep within my chest.

Collapsing next to her on the bed, everything slowly came back into focus, my senses no longer dulled. Her labored, hurried breathing started to calm as I fought to remain stationary, everything inside of me screaming to escape the confines of this house and feed again. The neighbors' thoughts started to fill my head, nothing but boring prattling since everyone was gathering for dinner.

Bella reached up and caressed my cheek with her overheated hand. "Edward, open your eyes," she demanded quietly.

I didn't realize that I was holding them firmly shut. I forced my lids to lift and stared straight into my true love's dark orbs, strangely fearing judgment for some reason, as if she could read my secret thoughts.

As she silently regarded my face and lightly moved her thumb back and forth across my cheek, I didn't miss the way she held her breath and set her mouth into a thin line.

"What?" I whispered, growing concerned by the sudden shift in her demeanor.

She shifted her fingertips up my face, tracing a trail up to the corner of my eyebrow. "It's starting. They're already turning black."

I knew that she wouldn't joke about something so serious, but I never thought that it would happen so fast. I jumped off the bed and crossed the room to look in the mirror hanging over her dresser. "You've got to be kidding me," I growled.

In the meantime, Bella had moved to the edge of the bed and sat up, pausing there with her feet planted on the floor and her hands digging into the bedding on either side of her legs. "Edward, let's just wait and see how long it takes for…" I could see her in the reflection of the mirror as she grabbed the side of her head and blinked her eyes rapidly. "…your eyes to go back to normal."

She stood up and listed to the right slightly. "I'm sure it will be fine," Bella said before she dropped to the floor, leaving me a split second to react and cradle her head before it struck the nightstand.

* * *

**A/N: Here's part of what's been keeping me busy over the last few months, thought I'd share them with you.**

**Intervention by Vixenonfire: /s/7456739/1/Intervention – **This oneshot one the Darkella contest from Twimuses/Jasper's Naughty Girls, and it's a great Canon AU. Check out everything that she's posted because everything is great. I also beta'd her first place winning contest entry _Elevation_ and another contest that I can't talk about yet.

**Beneath Her Gaze by Masenjar: /s/7431696/1/Beneath_Her_Gaze – **This is a multichapter WIP Canon AU that I beta with a badass vamp Bella who has much more than a shield for her power. My prereader also has a complete AH story _The Eagle and the Sparrow_ on her profile as well.

**Goodbye by Cullenlvr83: /s/7267942/1/Goodbye – **This is a high school AH Bella and Edward, then Bella and Emmett story that I beta. Definitely a story of complicated life-long involvement and love, and the poor decisions teenagers can make to deal with such confusion things.

**Open Up Next To You by LJ Summers: /s/7424463/1/Open_Up_Next_to_You –** I don't beta or preread for this, but this story is complete now and just slays me. I can't describe this one to do it justice, so here's the copy and pasted one from the fic's profile: _Ten years after the events of Eclipse, Edward meets his true vampire mate; Bella is left desolate. Alice and Jasper take her in with them to help her through her heartbreak._

It's heartbreaking at first, but then it is so uplifting to see Bella grow into her own. Definitely check it out if you can live through the heart fail.

**www(dot)nanowrimo(dot)org**


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Thanks to Erikasbuddy and Masenjar for their magical help as usual. SM owns everything, I'm still twisting and turning things for my personal enjoyment (and hopefully yours). No infringement intended.**

* * *

**Chapter 27 **

**Edward POV**

As soon as her knees buckled, I dove toward the floor and cradled Bella's fragile head in my hands just as her temple was about to meet the sharp corner of the table. My shoulder shattered the nightstand in the process. She lay unconscious in my arms, her body limp and unresponsive on the cold floor. Her heartbeat was steady and strong, but I had little time to worry about why she had fainted before a heavy-handed pounding began on the front door downstairs.

"Thank God, it must be Alice," I spoke aloud, thankful that she must have been intruding upon our privacy for once. I gently picked up Bella and placed her on the bed, making sure to cover her lovely body with the blanket. No need to expose her naked skin to the slightly chilled nighttime air of the house. Another loud set of impatient knocking on the door rattled the windows, and I quickly pulled on my jeans so I wouldn't be indecent as I sped down the stairs to unlock the front door to let my sister inside. _Hopefully Carlisle accompanied her._

But the hulking form blocking the front entryway wasn't my favorite sister or my father. My gaze had fallen at the expected height of Alice's eyes, but instead fell on the t-shirt clad torso of Jacob Black. He was blotting out most of the light coming from the street lamps, I quickly averted my gaze away from his as I retreated further into the dark interior to hide my crimson eyes from the wolf.

He blatantly sniffed the air while he took in my less than fully clothed appearance. He took a deep breath before seeming to stiffen while looking around me at the stairs. "Can I talk to Bella? I need to talk to her about what happened with my father earlier." Mercifully, he didn't seem eager to make eye contact with me either.

"Um, sure," I answered before he pushed past me into the house. As Jacob made his way straight for the stairs, I had to interrupt his obviously single minded mission. "Hold on, I have to wake her. You can wait in the kitchen." There was no way was I was allowing him to go into Bella's bedroom, especially when she was still lying up there unconscious and nude. She needed medical attention, not to listen to the unnecessary prattling of this boy.

While I ran up the stairs, I heard him rattling around in the refrigerator. I closed and locked Bella's bedroom door behind me for at least some semblance of privacy. She began to stir as I sat next to her on the bed and caressed her forehead. "Bella, Love? How are you feeling?"

She slowly opened her eyes and struggled to sit up. "What happened?"

I pulled her gently to my chest and kissed the top of her head. "You fainted. I'll have Carlisle look you over soon. But we have a much bigger problem at the moment, and he's wolfing down all of the food in your kitchen right now."

"Someone's here?" Bella sounded more alert, but panic started to creep into her voice as she tried to get up off of the bed. "Who's downstairs?"

"Jacob Black," I answered evenly as I laid clothes next to her on the bed before I finished getting dressed myself.

"He didn't see?" she whispered, pointing at her own eyes before she pulled on her pants.

I just shook my head. "You better get down there before he tries to come up here again. Are you steady enough to walk?"

She just nodded slowly and closed her eyes again as she sat on the bed.

"I'll walk you down the stairs, but then I must call Carlisle." I couldn't risk starting a war over the consensual act that had occurred between Bella and I just minutes earlier.

As she stood up and tested her steadiness, Bella crossed the distance between us with an unhurried and unsteady gate. "I'll go slow, maybe drink something when I get down there too."

I wrapped one arm around her waist and encouraged her to lean into me as we navigated the narrow steps downstairs. After a quick kiss on the top of her head, she disappeared into the kitchen. I helplessly listened to her walk into the room, feeling more powerless than I'd felt in a long time because I simply couldn't go with her and risk the exposure of my choices in blood. With my girlfriend weak from my drinking too much, my quickly fading red eyes, my _possibly still there_ sleep cycle, and the wolf sitting in Charlie's kitchen, things weren't looking up at the moment. _Damn it_. I slipped out onto the front porch; it was time to place the call.

**Bella POV**

With legs that felt like jelly and a head that was still a bit fuzzy, I slowly eased down the stairs and walked into the kitchen. Jacob's hulking form dwarfed the kitchen chair that he casually sat on as he shoveled a sandwich piled high with meat and cheese into his mouth as if he were starving.

"Hey, Jake." I grabbed the container of cranberry juice out of the refrigerator and poured a glass with shaky hands. "What brings you here?" I asked as I sat down across from him.

He finished chewing with a small smile on his face before he answered. "I was just in the neighborhood and got hungry. I figured Charlie wouldn't mind if I raided his fridge."

Throwing his head back as he laughed, I joined in half-heartedly before I interrupted his joking. "Haha, but seriously. What's up?"

The smile melted from his face. "I wanted to apologize for earlier. My dad…" Jacob took a deep breath as he paused and looked down at the table top. "He shouldn't have said those things about you."

I opened my mouth to say that it wasn't Jake's place to apologize, but he held up his hand to stop me.

"And I really don't think he should put you and Charlie in the middle like he has. It's wrong, but I'm pretty sure he's just doing that because he thinks of Charlie as family. My dad knows that you'll always choose the Cullens, and that your dad will always choose you, unless something bad enough happens to change Charlie's mind."

He finally paused long enough for me to speak. "But how would putting us in the middle help Billy's case?"

"I don't know…maybe he's just hoping that Charlie will come to his senses and—"

"What are you implying, Jake?" Anger was starting to rise up in my throat. "Measure your words carefully."

"I was just going to say that he wouldn't have anything to do with any of this. But I'm sure that Dad just wants Charlie to pick his side and force you to come along. I don't think there's any changing his mind."

"Well, you know our dads. They're both stubborn, and there's no changing their minds once they're set on something." The bandage on my leg started to itch, and I absent mindedly rubbed my palm over it forcefully seeking some relief.

Jacob's pleasant expression faded and his eyes grew far too serious for a teenager. "Then you know that Billy is serious when he says that absolutely no vampires can cross our land at all. The next time that happens, the treaty with the Cullens will be broken."

Abruptly standing up, I steadied myself before grabbing the now empty glass off of the table and walking to the sink. "And you have to see how ridiculous that is, right? How are they supposed to control what some random vampire does?" My vision began to blur slightly, so I leaned back against the counter as I waited for Jacob to answer.

"It is what it is, Bella—Quileute Elder's orders." He picked up his plate and walked over to the sink, pausing next to me after he'd placed his dish inside. "Are you alright? You're not looking so good?"

A wet warmth started to spread through the bandage on my leg. "I—I think I'm getting a cold. Nothing to be worried about."

"Are you sure you're not hurt?" He took a few steps back. "It smells like you're bleeding," he added hesitantly in a quiet voice.

I immediately blushed in embarrassment before the emotion turned into irritation—both with the fact that I had somehow broke open the spot on my thigh, as well as Jacob's misguided concern for my well-being. Needing to think quickly, I had to come up with some kind of an explanation besides the fact that Edward and I had regularly been breaking the treaty. "Thanks for pointing out that it's that time of the month for me, Jacob." His wolf sense of smell wasn't so acute that he could pinpoint the exact area I was bleeding from, right?

Luckily for me, it didn't take long for Jacob to get the meaning of my less than direct statement. He suddenly cringed and stepped back even further away from me. "Gross—uh, sorry," he mumbled apologetically, shoving his hands down into the front pockets of his pants. From his reaction, you'd never believe that he'd grown up with twin sisters.

"Yeah, no problem." This wasn't one of my prouder moments. We stood several feet apart in the kitchen, an awkward silence filling the room while both of us avoided looking at each other's faces.

"So, I'll just get going." As he turned to leave, he abruptly swung back around. "Oh, I almost forgot—Dad has a pack member keeping an eye on Charlie and Harry while they're away. You know, just in case."

This was a surprising development, and I briefly wondered if Jasper was aware that he had additional help in guarding my father on his fishing trip with Harry Clearwater. "Thank you. That's not necessary, but it's nice."

Jacob gave a small wave as he closed the back door behind him. I crossed the kitchen and sank down onto one of the hard chairs. Edward appeared at my side a second after the front door slammed shut. His eyes—already at the midway point in their transition from red to black again—were full of concern.

"Alice and Carlisle will be here soon," he murmured as he applied gentle pressure to area where the bandage was on my leg through my jeans.

"Did you hear everything?"

He simply nodded his head before sweeping me up into his arms. It was then that I saw the wet crimson stain beginning to seep through my jeans. "Why don't you rest on the couch in the meantime?" In the brief amount of time that I was cradled in his arms, there was an uneasy crease to his brow and a firm set to his mouth. After Edward sat me on the couch, he started to type on his phone with his non-bloodied hand, handing it to me when he was finished.

_Jacob's still outside and he's suspicious. Act normal until I say it's safe to speak freely._

A sigh escaped my lips, and I immediately handed the phone back to Edward before leaning back into the couch and closing my eyes. This was just a new layer of crap to deal with in addition to all of the other worries that were plaguing us.

**Edward POV**

The thoughts of Jacob Black were some of the loudest that I'd ever encountered. He didn't need to be hidden just inside the tree line of the woods behind Bella's house—thinking he was so cleverly spying on us—for it to seem as if he was standing right next to me. I could probably pick up his every idea loud and clear from five miles away if I wanted to tune into him. But his thought process wasn't interesting in the least, and as I impatiently waited for Carlisle to arrive so he could look Bella over, I really needed Jacob to leave so he wouldn't grow even more suspicious of our activities.

The scent of Bella's blood grew stronger as it continued to sluggishly flow and saturate her clothing. I took a ragged breath through my nose, swallowing back the venom that flooded my mouth as the aroma flooded my senses. She was already so weak—no way could I take any more from her. I'd already savaged her body, and now she more than likely needed stitches to close the wound. _What was taking Alice and Carlisle so long?_ I had to find out. I texted Alice again, demanding to know where they were.

Not more than thirty seconds later, I detected the familiar purr of Carlisle's Mercedes on Bella's street. Alice and Carlisle walked in the front door a short time later, both bearing black leather bags that they normally don't carry with them. I gently nudged Bella awake, and she'd barely had time to yawn before the charade of normalcy for Jacob Black's sake began.

"Ready for movie night, Bella?" Alice asked cheerfully as she dumped her bag down with a heavy thud onto the coffee table. "I brought ten different ones for you to choose from this time. And there isn't one in here that Carlisle can ruin by correcting the historical inaccuracies like he did last time." Of course it was rather dark in the living room for Bella since the only light on in the house was filtering from the kitchen. She probably couldn't see well enough to pick one title from the other.

She eyed the pile of plastic cases warily. "I don't—uh, you pick this time, Alice. I don't care what we watch."

Jacob's thoughts continued to bombard me. _I'm not sure that I trust so many of them in there when she's on her..._ The poor kid couldn't even use the common terminology for a woman's menses in his thoughts. How did he think we handled being around so many human women in public all of the time? I had to hand it to Bella, what a clever lie she told to cover up the real reason she was bleeding. It was a good thing he didn't realize that he shouldn't have smelled _fresh_ blood. But then again, maybe that was why he was currently skulking around the woods outside of her house like a common stalker instead of leaving us in peace.

_I need to look at her leg, Edward. Could you get her to change into something else so I can do that?_ Carlisle thought as I turned on a lamp, flooding the room with light.

I stood up and held my hand out to Bella. "Why don't you change into something more comfortable to watch the movie?" She took my hand without protest and I was able to lead her upstairs to her bedroom with ease. As she sat down on her bed, a dvd roared to life on the television downstairs while the washing machine was started in the laundry room.

_Alice wants to burn them, but I thought Bella would rather try to wash the pants first._ Carlisle kindly readied the machine for a load of laundry.

I watched as she carefully pulled them off before handing her a pair of loose fitting shorts. The sweet scent of her blood threatened to overwhelm me. I closed my eyes as I struggled to remain in place, to not wrap my lips around her leg and draw in deeply.

"Edward?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper but full of concern. "Maybe you should put these in the wash for me and I'll meet you downstairs?"

I opened my eyes when I heard the rustling of fabric in front of me to find Bella holding the pants in her outstretched hands. "You'll make it down by yourself?"

A small smile played at her lips before she breathed out a quiet "Yes."

With a nod of my head, I grabbed the fabric with a shaking hand and made quick work of the laundry, waiting silently in the living room with Alice and Carlisle for Bella to come downstairs. She appeared a few minutes later after we'd heard the water running in the bathroom, now clad in a bathrobe. Thankfully, the aroma of fresh blood was greatly reduced after Alice had opened a window in the living room, and Bella had thoroughly washed the blood away, covering the area with a fresh bandage.

"Oh good, Bella, there you are. The movie is about to start," Alice said and patted the seat next to her on the couch. "Edward, why don't you get her snack from the refrigerator? Carlisle put some fresh fruit in there when we got here."

Jacob's thoughts were growing quieter by the second as I walked into the kitchen. He must finally be giving up his post outside of Bella's house and heading deeper into the woods. _Sounds like they're just having a normal night at home. I don't blame Bella for not wanting to be alone when Charlie's gone, especially with my father stirring up trouble and calling her a vampire whore to her face. _I ripped open the door a bit more forcefully than I should have, and the contents of the refrigerator rattled against each other. Billy Black just vaulted over Mike and Victoria and made his way to the top of my list.

"Everything okay in there, son?" Carlisle called out from the living room.

"Just fine," I grumbled, making quick work of righting the overturned containers in the cooled interior before grabbing the plastic container of diced fruit for Bella.

Jacob's thoughts, now barely a whisper, broke through again. _I'm sure she's fine. More worried about… _But then his voice faded away, gone from my head since he'd finally travelled too far away from away for me to hear. I opened the freezer door to make sure I hadn't left the contents inside of there in disarray too, and there were donor bags of human blood lying inside that had me quickly slamming the door shut.

"He's gone," Alice announced. "Now _please_ let Carlisle fix Bella up, because I keep seeing her fainting over and over again. And she's bleeding all over the place. I really do want to watch this movie."

My sister's pleas made me forget about my personal struggles at the moment, and I moved to Bella's side. "Where do you want to do this, Carlisle?"

"In the kitchen is fine."

I lifted Bella into my arms again, but before I'd even taken one step she huffed loudly. "I'm quite capable of walking on my own, you know."

"No you're not," Alice added while I kept walking toward the kitchen. "You were going to fall over in a dead faint halfway there."

"Don't bother arguing with her, Bella. Save your strength," I said quietly against her hair. She relaxed in my arms, whether it was because she just gave up or whatever I didn't know.

Carlisle's black leather bag lay open on the dining table, and he motioned for me to place Bella on the wooden top next to it. After making her as comfortable as possible, I stepped away and stood behind my father.

"Let's have a look, why don't we?" he asked as he waited for Bella to slide the dark blue robe off of the top of her leg, revealing a white bandage with a deep crimson stain starting to seep through the top layer.

Bella held her breath and closed her eyes as Carlisle carefully removed the gauze.

"How bad is it?" I inched forward and peered over his shoulder to see what kind of damage I'd done to what was once creamy, unblemished skin.

"I—I couldn't help it. It was so damn itchy. I wound up rubbing the bandage while Jacob was talking to me." Bella looked at the floor, guilt flooding her features as if this was entirely her fault.

Carlisle started to clean the angry red marks with the supplies he removed from his bag, his thoughts solely on the task at hand. "A few stitches will take care of this, Bella, and you'll be as good as new."

I paced back and forth in the small kitchen while he stitched the wounds closed on her thigh, a nervous energy taking over my body as the remains of Bella's blood burned its way out of my system. This must have been annoying to the both of them since Bella would periodically sigh heavily and shoot me a dirty look, while Carlisle finally engaged me in worthwhile conversation.

"Edward, you've obviously taken my advice and not hunted after this foray with Bella. Why don't we talk specifics while I finish up here?" He continued to work on her while I walked the same path back and forth as I described the events of the last few hours.

"Just to be clear," he said as he applied a clean bandage. "The change from red to black started about thirty minutes after ingestion, is that right, Bella?"

"That sounds about right." As she pulled the fabric back over her exposed leg, it slipped off of her other limb, revealing the silvered scars of past encounters between us before she quickly covered herself again.

But I knew that Carlisle saw the marks because I could feel the surprise and tension radiate from him. And he was not pleased in the least. _We will discuss this later, Edward. How reckless both of you have been, so callously breaking the treaty for some time. You know how close that is to the femoral artery. And now Jacob Black is suspicious. This is not good._ The disappointment in his thoughts cut me to the bone.

The house had grown eerily quiet, and Alice appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. "All finished in here?" She didn't wait for a response from any one of us before stepping forward and pulling Bella toward the living room by the hand. "Esme will be here in a few minutes with a hot meal. It will be just the thing to fix you right up," she said as they disappeared around the corner.

I finally slumped down on the uncomfortable wooden chair, placing my elbows on my knees and resting my head in my hands. "What's going on, Carlisle? I drank too much from Bella, and now she's weak. And now her blood is leaving my system too quickly?"

Carlisle paused while he collected his thoughts. "I'm not going to hazard a guess as to why her blood isn't staying around as long as animal blood does. There isn't enough data to postulate a hypothesis yet."

I really didn't have the patience for his scientific jargon at the moment, not when my temper was growing short and my thirst was starting to gnaw at my insides. "I have to hunt right—"

"But we need to see if you're cured of sleeping yet," Carlisle interrupted. "Why don't you join Bella and Alice in the living room and watch the movie. The distraction will help."

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea."

"You'll be fine," he said, effectively dismissing me and my concerns as he scribbled notes on a pad of paper.

Jittery and anxious, I found myself between Bella and Alice on the couch as a romantic comedy played on the flat screen. While Alice had not seen this movie, Bella and I had watched it when it was first released in theaters, and it didn't hold my interest the first time I was forced to view it. Bella's soft hand reached out and gripped my knee, pushing down weakly to still the leg that I was bouncing up and down. "Sorry," I muttered quietly when she gave me a curious glance before reluctantly returning her gaze to the screen. Luckily for me, Esme walked in the front door a few minutes later with dinner for Bella, so I no longer had to sit calmly when my nerves were shot and on fire with the need to move.

My cell phone chirped with a text message notification at the same time that Carlisle's phone rang from the kitchen. The message was from Emmett.

_Thanks for having a crisis & leaving me here all alone with Rosie & Mike. Just might let her kill him, FYI. Send help or I'll let him play your piano. _

I laughed to myself as I walked into the kitchen, just being up and in motion was taking the edge off. Emmett wasn't stupid enough to let that vile creature venture near my second most precious thing in the world if he knew what was good for him. Carlisle was listening to a woman's voice on the other end of his call, and she was speaking very quickly, her voice full of emotion.

"I understand, Kate. But it's important that you don't do anything to provoke them." Just the mention of our cousin in Denali had me on alert. "I'll bring him up there myself, but we'll be driving so it will take some time."

Carlisle motioned for me to come closer and wait. "I don't care what you have to do, but don't let Victoria or Laurent leave your property. We'll be there as soon as we can." He ended the call and dropped the phone into his pocket before he purposefully walked into the living room to join the others.

"What's going on?" I asked, following close behind him.

All eyes turned to Carlisle as he began to explain. "Kate just called, and Victoria is growing unruly in Alaska. She's acting like a caged animal, and now she's making threats and demanding to see Michael."

"Does she know where Mike is at the moment? Should we be prepared?" Esme asked. Her eyes were filled with concern as they flitted to Bella before turning back to Carlisle.

"No one has told her that he came to Forks, but she suspects that he is with us. Given the chance, I have a feeling that she will run straight here. Kate and Tanya believe that Laurent was able to convince Victoria that Denali was the safest place to go after their attack, but it's possible he was just going there to be with Irina like he's been doing for the past year."

Alice was busy sifting through the possibilities that her visions lay before her, but still she spoke. "So you're going to bring Mike directly to Victoria?"

Carlisle answered without hesitation. "I think it's the safest thing to do."

With a skeptical look upon her face, Bella asked, "But didn't he rip them apart to get away from them? How are you even going to convince him to go up there?"

Esme quirked an eyebrow, and smiled devilishly. "Looks like Carlisle and I will be inviting him to meet our cousins in Alaska since he's a part of our family now. It's the proper thing to do, you know." The sarcasm practically dripped from her words, and I was reminded that no matter how sweet and attractive an exterior we had, there was still an evil monster lurking inside each one of us.

"Yeah, that will get the fool in the car," Alice added. "Do it, Carlisle. But only bring Esme with you. Any more and it will look like an ambush and Victoria will react badly."

Esme opened her purse and took out her cell phone. "I'll set this up right now. I'm sure poor Emmett could use the break anyway." She stood up and gave Carlisle a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be waiting in the car," she said before closing the front door behind her with a soft click.

"I don't have a good feeling about this," I said, continuing to pass my own phone back and forth from hand to hand repeatedly.

Alice finally seemed to snap back to reality, her visions that I'd been studiously ignoring because I couldn't focus on them clearing as she rooted herself in the here and now. "It's really the lesser of all the possible evils I'm seeing right now, Edward. Why don't you sit down next to Bella? You're constant fidgeting is driving me insane."

She projected an image of what I looked like right now—harried and nervous, disheveled with completely black eyes as I paced and constantly moved—and I instantly stilled with the shock of the image. I needed to calm down or I would be of no use to anyone, so I sat down next to Bella on the couch. Her warmth started to relax me as soon as she leaned against my side. Soon I found myself yawning and growing tired.

Upon hearing the signs of my fatigue, Carlisle was at my side and examining my eyes with that infernal doctor flashlight. I batted it away and groaned. "Damn it. This obviously didn't work."

"There's no trace of red, so her blood is completely out of your system. How are you feeling?"

"Right now? Quite frankly, I'm tired and pissed off. I just want to go to sleep."

"It's a good thing I thought to bring some blood from the hospital. I have a feeling that you weren't able to drink enough to have the right effects. Try drinking more while I'm gone, and let me know what happens. Just don't hunt at all. I think that's the key in all of this."

Bella squeezed my hand. "You want him to drink other people's blood?"

"Yes. You're already weak and he has already had a few pints of your blood, Bella. There's no way that you could provide any more of yourself without serious ill effects."

"Oh," she replied, her eyes downcast on the coffee table.

Another yawn escaped my lips, and I knew from these past months that I would pass out on the couch if I didn't make it up to Bella's bed very soon. And the idea of a night spent sleeping down here and not next to Bella were not hours well spent, in my opinion.

Her smooth, warm hand caressed my face as she whispered in my ear. "We tried, sweetheart. Tomorrow's another day. Let's get you to bed."

After I slowly stood up, Bella rose to her feet and turned toward Alice. "Everyone's safe tonight, right? Since Charlie's not home?"

My sister busied herself turning off the television and dvd player. "Everything's good for now. I'll clean up and turn everything off. You two get to bed, and I'll see you in the morning."

As we walked to the stairs, Bella turned to ask another question, but Alice interrupted her. "And I'll call Jasper to check in on Charlie. And yes, he knows that there's a wolf watching Charlie too."

We continued up the stairs, and once we were snuggled together comfortably in her bed, she whispered. "Edward? I love you and your family, but sometimes your sister can be downright annoying."

I just laughed quietly in agreement. The last sound I heard before sleep pulled me under was Alice muttering under her breath downstairs. "Yeah, well, I'm the annoying one that has to clean up your broken nightstand and little drops of blood all over everything. Slobs."

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**A/N: We're getting closer to the end. So hang on, the ride's about to get very bumpy. See you next time. **


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: Thanks to Erikasbuddy and Masenjar for their usual sparkly magic. And extra-large thanks to VixenOnFire for reading a boat load of chapters to catch up on this fic and helping out with this chapter. No infringement intended.**

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**Chapter 28 **

**Carlisle POV**

The quiet hum of the tires rolling over the highway and the sound of the car as it cut a path through the air were the only sounds filling the Mercedes. We ran out of things to talk about an hour into the trip northward, and now an awkward silence hung in the cabin. Esme sat quietly by my side, her hand entwined with mine as she gazed out the side window and watched the landscape pass us by. Emmett had insisted on traveling to Denali even though it was against Alice's recommendation. However, I did feel much better about this trip with my strongest son riding next to Michael in the back seat.

Alice did say that her visions were so fleeting and unpredictable that she didn't have a firm grasp on what would happen, and the only thing she could say for sure was Victoria's mental state might not be too firm. Since Victoria and Laurent's scents would be immediately recognizable to Michael, we thought that a neutral area would be necessary to diffuse the tension between the vampires. Something big had clearly happened between them to provoke Michael, resulting in the dismemberment of Victoria and Laurent before he came back to Forks. We needed to keep the three former traveling companions away from the prying innocent eyes of humans just in case another fight broke out when they met again. A desolate area in the Canadian wilderness halfway between Denali and Forks was chosen for this meeting, and now I just had to endure the drive for several more hours.

Something about this trip didn't seem right, and I still wasn't sure if Michael had malicious intentions by returning to Forks. To keep my mind off of the nagging doubts I had about basically handing him over to Victoria, I thought about the current situation involving Edward and Bella. My eldest son's desperation to be a normal vampire again was a direct result of Michael's actions. If he hadn't resorted to using his unique power all those months ago, Edward wouldn't be sleeping every night. And the silvered scars on Bella's leg were another cause for worry. We all knew that Edward had been drinking from Bella, but we looked the other way because it wasn't out of control—not yet, at least. When I was shown concrete evidence that he'd actually been biting her, I wasn't sure what to think of the situation. They'd been straddling a fine line of appropriate behavior, but now I knew that they were walking along the razor's edge. If the Quileute's somehow caught wind of this, the treaty would be broken and war would be declared. Billy Black had been looking for any excuse to tear up the treaty for months now, seemingly ever since Edward and Bella began their relationship.

Luck was on our side last night when Bella was able to misdirect Jacob—by weaving a web of barely convincing lies—and getting him to leave the house as quickly as possible. The young man was suspicious, and we had to put on a charade of normalcy just to fool him into believing that all was well at the Swan residence—it was just a normal Saturday night. But in fact, it was far from a regular evening at home. What would Bella and Edward have done if I wasn't able to get there so quickly or if her bleeding was much heavier? Such games couldn't be played just to throw one lone wolf off of their scent so their subterfuge wouldn't be discovered. Their behavior was leading us all onto dangerous ground.

After seeing how Edward's body metabolized Bella's blood so quickly, I now wondered if there was an effect due to prolonged exposure to smaller quantities of the same blood over and over again. How much human blood was it going to take to break him of this sleep pattern, or was it even possible now? Edward was taking the first steps in discovering the answer without me since I had to take this trip, but I expected to be kept up to speed with text messages on his progress. His erratic behavior didn't leave me feeling very optimistic with the results of the first experiment. It was clear that Edward couldn't sit still or focus, and in the end, he nevertheless fell asleep.

**Edward POV**

Snapping awake, my arm immediately moved to the cold, empty spot next to me on the bed. _Bella was gone._ Already tense and definitely not rested as one should be after sleeping, I was relieved to hear her steady heartbeat and her slow, even breathing from somewhere within the house. It took only a few seconds as I silently moved throughout the rooms before finding her sprawled across the couch, a blanket tucked under one of her legs and strewn haphazardly along her body as she slumbered peacefully. It was strange to not see her all bundled up while she slept.

_She couldn't get any rest next to you because you were thrashing about so much while you slept. _Alice sat in Charlie's recliner, absently flipping through one of his fishing magazines in the dark. Sensing my unease as I stood next to the couch looking down at Bella, she put the periodical aside and leaned forward. _You're not feeling any better._

She didn't even state that as a question because my sister knew me so well. "No, I'm not," I whispered so low that Bella wouldn't hear and her peaceful rest wouldn't be disturbed. Bella never mentioned that I moved around in my sleep before. In fact, she'd remarked in the past that it was almost like I was truly dead while I was unconscious since I didn't move or breathe. _What was going on?_

Alice maintained the one-sided conversation by keeping her part in her thoughts. _But you've made significant progress. You only slept for four hours this time._

While I was relieved that the amount of time I was out was cut nearly in half, the raging thirst that gnawed at my insides was beginning to consume me yet again. I turned my attention back to Bella, sweeping my gaze over her luscious and milky skin that lay exposed outside of the blanket. Her delicious scent started to make the venom pool in my mouth as I watched her neck thump in time with her heartbeat.

_Why don't you try some of that blood that Carlisle left here for you?_ Alice tugged on my arm, moving me away from my vulnerable girlfriend and into the kitchen where she sat me down at the table before grabbing the chilled blood out of the refrigerator.

My instincts were battling between running to Bella in the adjacent room or into the woods to find the nearest animal to drain. Fearing the wrath of my sister, instead of acting on either impulse I just rested my forehead against the tabletop while Alice did whatever she needed to do. It was impossible to wait patiently, and I found myself bouncing my leg up and down quickly as images of creamy white skin passed through my mind. Before long, a bell dinged and a large coffee mug full of steaming liquid was placed next to me on the table.

"It's probably too hot, and I know that it's going to feel all wrong drinking out of a mug that says 'Charlie: The Man, The Myth, The Legend' on it." She attempted a small laugh, but it came out too forced. "But I'm not going to taste it to see." Alice backed away from the table as I wrapped a shaking hand around the cup, hesitating before I brought the rim to my lips, and I began to drink greedily.

She was right about the temperature; the liquid would have scorched human flesh as it slid down my throat. The flavor wasn't as I remembered, either. Maybe it was because this blood had been sitting in a bag for who knows how long, absorbing components of the plastic while the preservatives added to keep the blood from spoiling altered the taste further, but nothing compared to the feast that was Bella's blood—straight from her beautiful veins.

Tipping the cup back to get the last remaining drops, and cursing the red film clinging stubbornly to the ceramic, I turned to Alice fully intending to get a refill. But I was met with a stern expression of worry on my sister's face.

"Carlisle said you should go slowly with this. That mug can only be filled once."

"I'm sure the legendary Charlie Swan gets as many refills as he wants in this mug, especially in his own house." Who would buy him this coffee mug anyway? The man had no idea I'd been sleeping with his daughter for months. Some cop, he was.

"It should probably disappear after your little cocktail anyway. Bella wouldn't want him drinking coffee out of it again." She reached around my shoulder, wrapping her hand around the handle and snatching it away before retreating toward the sink.

"Alice," I said evenly, rising to my full height. As I looked down at her, I continued while reaching out my hand, "Give me the bag."

To her credit, she didn't back down. Alice stood her ground. "You will not bully me. If Carlisle doesn't think that you should dive in head first with this, we will abide by his wishes even though he isn't here."

And that was when I caught a flash of how desperate and wild I looked at that moment through her eyes. "Please, Alice. I'm so thirsty. Look at me. My eyes are still black. That small amount of blood hasn't affected me in the least, and if Bella sees this, she'll just want to help out. Carlisle doesn't want me to hunt animals, and I desperately need to not sleep anymore." It was a low blow, but throwing her best friend into the mix would play on Alice's sympathies. I was trying to avoid drinking from Bella after I'd already made her so weak. My desperation to never sleep again was making me do things that I normally wouldn't dream of doing.

Alice looked toward the living room, and her resolve wavered. She handed the bag of blood to me. "I'll be sitting with Bella," she said in a defeated voice before disappearing from the kitchen.

I studied the label on the clear plastic bag, trying to understand why this didn't really hold that much appeal. _Must be because this isn't the same blood type as Bella _I reasoned with myself. But the real answer was simple, though; it wasn't Bella's blood. Without bothering to warm it up, I wrenched off the spout and squeezed the contents of the bag directly into my mouth. Temperature didn't make a difference; the blood still tasted and felt wrong. Once it was empty, I discarded the bag into the trashcan, waiting for the familiar sensations of strength, warmth, and fullness to overtake my body.

Those feelings never came.

Instead, an intense stabbing pain radiated from my stomach throughout my body, and I doubled over in an effort to contain my distress. As I groaned in agony, the overwhelming impulse to purge the contents of my stomach started to build. As I stumbled to the backdoor, Alice and Bella were right behind me in the kitchen voicing their concerns, but I couldn't stay in the house to listen to their pleas.

I didn't make it out of the backyard and into the forest like I had intended before the first wave of nausea erupted and won. Falling to my hands and knees onto the damp lawn, another painful spasm rocked my body. Soon, every drop of blood that I had consumed was left on the lawn, leaving the grass painted red like a crime scene while the front of my clothes was coated like a murder victim.

I rolled over onto my back and stared up into the star filled sky. But doing so didn't alleviate the sick feeling tucked deep inside of me. I closed my eyes tightly, hoping the sensation would just go away. As I lay in the cool grass waiting to feel better in the dead of night, Bella and Alice approached tentatively.

"Are you all right, Edward?" Bella asked, her voice still raspy from sleep.

"No," I whispered, not having the energy to say anything else.

Luckily, Alice took charge of the situation. "I'll get the hose. Bella, you get Edward into the shower. Afterwards, Edward and I need to go hunting."

**Carlisle POV**

A flashing green light caught my attention out of the corner of my eye while I was driving down the interstate. "Esme, could you grab my phone please?" My wife marked the place she was reading in her novel before reaching down, picking up my phone, and handing it over. Pulling up the waiting text message, I was surprised to see that the sender was Alice.

_Good news: E only slept 4 hours. Bad news: he can't keep down any liquids. Going to take him out after B cleans him up._

Biting back a groan of frustration—both at the complexity of their situation and not being physically there to help—I hit reply and began to type as I steered the car with my knee. Esme gave me a dirty sideways look as I focused on the phone.

_How is he acting? Physical symptoms? Need more info._

Dropping the phone to my lap, I resumed steering with my hand while I waited for a response from Alice. Esme noticed my worried expression, so she reached over and soothingly patted my thigh. Emmett and Michael were still talking about a video game they'd been discussing for the last hour. Just when I thought I could stand no more talk about the merits of one gun over another, I received another text message from Alice.

_Gave him mugful from fridge & had no effect— stayed black, still restless, still thirsty. Drank rest of bag & barfed all over backyard. Hosing down now & not happy, btw._

"What does 'B T W' mean?" I mumbled to myself, not really asking anyone in particular as I mulled over the evidence in her text message. We couldn't be too careful with what kind of digital trail we left behind us; it was best that we were as vague as possible in these messages in case someone stumbled upon our phones. It would be so much easier if we could just talk directly right now, but I couldn't take that risk with the wildcard that was Michael in the backseat.

Emmett poked his head over the front seat, smiling as he turned and gave Esme a wink. "It's shorthand for 'By the way,' Carlisle," he said. "Who are you texting while driving? And I thought you were the responsible parent. You know, setting a good example for us kids and not doing the whole distracted driving thing."

As he craned his neck to look around my shoulder to the phone sitting in my lap, I reached back and batted his head away. We appeared just like a regular human family right now, and before long, I'd be threatening to turn the car around when the boys' chatter grew to be too annoying. "It's just your sister."

Before I could reply, another message was sent to my phone.

_I know what you'll say, but he can't hold out—bad things will happen. Will text again after we hunt. FYI, Rose is 1 hour behind you in the BMW and closing._

Now that abbreviation, I recognized. Rosalie deciding to follow us wasn't surprising. She'd voiced her concerns about bringing Michael to Denali before we left the house, but even she couldn't argue with the logic of keeping whatever would happen when he and Victoria saw each other again far away from our home.

_Understood. Keep me posted._

Back to our problems at home. What symptoms had Alice just given me about Edward's case? He slept four hours less than he normally does, which was a good thing. This means we were making progress on that front, and that was surely due to his ingestion of a larger quantity of Bella's blood than usual last night. Unfortunately, Bella was then showing signs of mild anemia from blood loss, and it would take a few days for her to recover.

But with his rapid metabolism that he had seemed to develop from months of exposure to Bella's blood, the result was vomiting when Edward tried to drink the donor blood. What was I missing here? There wasn't a difference between her blood and regular human blood, so maybe it was something in the process of bagging the blood for donation that was affecting him. What implications could this new facet possibly have? I didn't relish the thought of obtaining another human donor, and forcing them to give fresh, untainted blood directly to Edward.

We drove for few more hours before our exit came into view. "Emmett, call Rose and tell her that we're going to stop at this park for a quick hunt. I'm sure she'd want to know what we're up to since she's decided to meet us in Denali." I was very careful with my wording because I didn't want Michael to know that Rosalie was worried enough about our trip to follow us to Alaska. He would find out soon enough the real reason for our unexpected pit stop.

As I navigated the Mercedes down a gravel path into a parking area surrounded on three sides by dense forest, Esme shot me an uneasy glance. I gave my wife a weak smile in return that truly mirrored the uncertainty I was feeling about our current situation—both with Michael and Edward. Turning around in my seat, I placed a mask of calm on my face. "Let's see what we can find in the forest. I'll lead since I've been here before." _It was more like I was given directions by Tanya so we could meet everyone, just like an ambush._

Michael and Emmett got out of the back seat, slamming the back doors of the car a little too forcefully at the nearly the same time, causing the car to shake. I opened the door for Esme, offering her a hand which she took with a beautifully appreciative smile.

"Are you ready?" she whispered against my chest while I hugged her tight, the multiple meanings heavy in the cool air.

Brushing a kiss along the top of her head, I quietly sighed. "As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose."

Emmett being Emmett felt the need to diffuse the tension. "Get a room you two. What do you say we get a move on?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," Michael added. "I'm anxious to meet these hot sisters Emmett keeps talking about."

A flutter of annoyance passed over Esme's face before she pushed it aside. "You'll meet them soon enough, Michael."

Running due east as instructed, I finally found the small field that Tanya was speaking of during our last phone conversation. The wind was blowing just right so we couldn't detect the scent of any other vampires. I stopped in the middle of the clearing and the others responded in kind.

"Why are we stopping? There isn't anything around here to hunt except for field mice," Mike said, confusion lacing his voice.

Before any of us could reply to his question, Tanya stepped out from behind a line of trees. The strong breeze blew her strawberry blond hair and behind her as she approached. While Esme, Emmett, and I remained relaxed, Michael immediately crouched and went into a defensive position.

"It's okay, Mike. This is Tanya, one of the sister's we told you about," Emmett said in an effort to calm him down. While Michael stood completely upright again, his body remained tense and ready to flee at a moment's notice as he regarded all of us suspiciously.

As I walked toward the middle of the clearing with Esme by my side to meet Tanya, I heard Michael mumble nervously to Emmett. "You were right, dude. She is hot."

"Carlisle, Esme…nice to see you again." Tanya hugged Esme in greeting, and smiled warmly towards Emmett and Michael over my wife's shoulder. "Hello, Emmett. And this handsome friend of yours must be Michael." She slowly approached the two boys as non-threateningly as possible—arms at her side, slow steps, small smile on her lips, soft amber eyes. I was sure this was the same technique she used with human men over the years, and it was a bit fascinating to see her in action.

"What's up, Tanya?" Emmett said before nudging Mike's shoulder as the woman with the man-eating reputation and the barely out of his newborn phase man stared at one another for several long moments. Emmett turned to us with pleading eyes, throwing his hands in the air when neither one reacted.

Fearing the worst, Esme and I quickly joined them. Our sudden appearance at their sides jolted them into awareness, and Tanya fearlessly extended her hand towards Mike. Just as he hesitantly reached out and grasped hers with his own, loud voices broke out from the surrounding forest before a vampire sprinted into the clearing.

Instinctively, I pushed Esme behind me as I prepared to fight for our lives while my muscles tensed. Both Emmett and Michael had tried to do the same with Tanya, but she was much older and used to defending herself. The three of them stood in line, ready for anything.

Leading the charge was Victoria. Her red hair was a wind-blown mess, giving her an unkempt and somewhat insane look as she took in the scenery with a sneer on her lips. When her crimson gaze landed upon Michael, her crazed expression softened momentarily as her body straightened and relaxed.

Kate, Irina, and Laurent ran into the meadow about twenty seconds after Victoria had appeared, quickly encircling her in a protective ring. Every single vampire in this clearing held a defensive stance, except for Victoria. She simply stared blankly towards Michael as he started to slowly back away.

"What the hell is going on here, Carlisle?" he asked while never taking his eyes off of Victoria, anger and a hint of fear coloring his voice.

This certainly wasn't the way that I would have liked to reintroduce Michael to Victoria, but their body language spoke volumes about what might have happened before he returned to Forks. "I'm sorry, Michael. I didn't have a choice. Victoria had to see that you were with us of your own free will."

"Is that true? You asked to join them?" Victoria tried to step forward, but Laurent moved with her and blocked her path. Irina and Kate surrounded them on either side.

Michael stood his ground. "I just went home to visit my family, and I wound up staying with the Cullens for a while after a graduation party they had at their house." He looked around nervously before adding, "It's not like there's any other vampires around Forks to hang out with."

"You could have tried to find us, you know." Thinking back, Victoria didn't seem as volatile and wicked as she did when we first met the nomads. This version of Victoria seemed to be much more wounded mentally that a man would actually voluntarily leave her than she had been about James' death.

Laurent stepped out of Victoria's way and turned towards us. "I don't think he wanted to find us. I'm sure he _assumed_ we were dead while he pranced around without a care in the world."

"Why would I think that you were dead?" Michael asked in a slightly raised voice. "I went off to call my parents and have a bit of privacy. There was no sign of you guys when I was done. I figured you two just ditched me like you did that time in Paris."

He was a skillful liar. If Emmett, Esme, and I didn't have an inkling of the truth from Alice's visions, I would have easily believed him as he explained his side of the story. We were in dire need of Edward's ability right now, although that wasn't possible because he was dealing with much bigger personal problems at home. But the more I listened as Michael explained himself to Victoria and Laurent, doubts began to creep into my mind as to what version of events was the truth. He quickly went over how he went to Forks to visit his family, his appearance at the graduation party—excluding the talk we had about staying with our coven in Forks—all in excruciating detail. His omissions were obvious to me, and his reluctance to admit them to Victoria made me suspicious.

After regarding everyone around me, I hoped that everyone was less cautious enough to agree to what I was about to suggest. "Why don't we all travel to Denali as planned? Rosalie should be here by now, and we can all drive together since there will be enough space since there will be two cars." Tensions didn't appear to be as high at the moment, so I assumed we'd be able to peacefully drive in both of our vehicles to Denali. And if I was lucky, I would be able to piece together exactly what was going on from snippets of conversation during the drive ahead of us.

"That's a good idea, at least we won't have to run back," Tanya added. "We'll follow you to the car, Carlisle."

While Emmett called Rosalie, Esme grabbed my hand and lead the way to the parking area. Glancing behind me, Victoria and Tanya had lined up on either side of Michael, followed by Irina and Laurent—who were surprisingly holding hands. Kate and Emmett were behind them.

When we got back to the parking area, Rosalie was leaning against the front of her BMW as we emerged from the trees. While she said nothing, the look of distrust and revulsion at the sight of Victoria and Laurent wordlessly said it all.

The dilemma of who would ride in which car was easily decided as people split up and headed to certain vehicles. When Michael resumed his spot in the backseat of my Mercedes, surprisingly Victoria slipped in beside him while Tanya forced him into the middle of the seat when she pushed in from the other side. Emmett joined Rosalie in her car, of course, and Kate, Laurent, and Irina headed for the rear seat.

As Esme sat behind the steering wheel, graciously relieving me of my driving duties for the last leg of the journey, I prayed that this drive would go smoothly. Lord knew I didn't feel comfortable without Emmett literally having my back for the next several hours.


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: Thanks to Erikasbuddy, Vixenonfire, and MasenJar for their input and eyes on this chapter. It's been so long, let's just get started.**

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**Chapter 29**

**Edward POV**

I'd lost track of how many animals lay lifeless in my path of destruction over the course of the past few hours. As fast as I could snap their necks and suck them dry, Alice swooped in to clean up my mess, hiding the evidence as I moved on to the next innocent victim on my quest to feel normal again. The forest grew even more silent as the wildlife finally realized that they were doomed in the early light of dawn, as every piece of meat with a beating heart headed for higher ground to escape the rampaging vampire.

Collapsing to the ground when another unlucky buck had gone dry, I sprawled on my back and closed my eyes. Nothing was going the way it was supposed to. I should have been able to protect and care for Bella. She shouldn't have been the one who had to clean me up, wiping me down as I stood lifelessly in the shower so I wouldn't be covered in vomited donor blood any longer. Just another failed attempt at going back to the status quo. But I was fooling myself again because I never was normal—not as a vampire, maybe not even when I was human.

"We should get back to Bella's house, Edward. The sun's coming up."

Alice was probably right about the need to get out of the daylight, but I just wanted to stay here under the canopy of trees, waiting for the animal blood to do its thing and make me feel _okay_ again. Not shaky and edgy, only focused on my thirst. It seemed like I'd been feeling this way for weeks instead of a few days.

"There will be some hikers through here in a few hours." My sister tugged on my hand to lift me to my feet. "They'll think you're dead if you stay like this, not to mention that Bella will kick my ass if I show up at Charlie's without you."

With the thought of my girlfriend somehow getting the best of all-seeing Alice, it brought a smile to my face and made me less of a dead weight, so I let her pull me up. "I might pay to see that."

"Yeah, well, she'd have to be one of us before that would even be possible, and you refuse to let that happen, so…" she trailed off as she dropped my hand and started walking away.

I sighed, my stomach heavy and full after feeding more than I should have. "We're really going to talk about this now?" I asked while following after her.

"When is there going to be a better time? No one else is around, it's finally just you and me. You have five miles to tell me why six months ago she stopped showing up as a vampire in my visions."

The possibility of Bella even appearing as one of us in her visions was news to me. Alice was so good at hiding her mind as she saw fit whenever she was near. "She finally stopped mentioning being turned when I refused talk about it." I shrugged when I finally caught up with her. "I guess she gave up."

"But how can you deny giving her forever, especially when she wants the same from you?"

"It's more complicated than that."

"No, it's not. You're just too pig headed to see how simple it really is."

Alice wasn't above hitting below the belt and resorting to name calling. I sighed. "You don't understand—"

"Just listen to me, Edward. Your refusal to turn her doesn't just affect you, but it also has ramifications for the rest of us, most of all Bella."

"You know how I feel about this, Alice. I'd give anything to be human again, so why would I doom Bella to this half-life?" I was getting more frustrated and my voice grew louder as I continued. "And now I'm in some weird kind of limbo where I'm not quite a whole vampire because I sleep like a human. I'm useless to everyone when I sleep." Instead, I maintained a brisk pace through the forest towards Bella's house.

"We're working on that. Carlisle will figure it out soon—"

"And if he doesn't? What then, huh? The only thing I can keep down is Bella's blood, and I've already weakened her. Who knows what will happen with everything I just drank?"

"It will probably be fine. But are you really going to dangle eternity in front of her face, show her how great it can be, and then let her grow old and die? Or even worse, are you going to let her meet her end in some other way?"

I remained silent, not really knowing what to say that wouldn't set Alice off.

"Fine, Edward, don't answer me. But if you want her to die that way, you should have just let James kill her last year. At least then we wouldn't have any of this drama with Victoria and Laurent going on right now in Alaska, or even the whole Mike thing. And you wouldn't be sleeping."

I stopped dead in my tracks, squeezing my hands into tight fists and releasing them repeatedly at my sides. And there it was, someone finally placed blame in the rightful place—squarely on my shoulders. "Everything is entirely my fault, Alice. I'm the one who fell in love with a human. It was _me_ who made the wrong decisions all along. I can't go back and change things, so what do you want from me?"

Her steely eyes bore through me while her mind remained uncharacteristically silent. "Just do the right thing for once," she finally said. "Stop being selfish and look at the bigger picture. Now let's go."

I followed wordlessly behind Alice through the woods, breaking out into a dead sprint when the sun started to peek out over the horizon. My entire body felt strong at first, still sated from the extreme thirst that had burned through me earlier. _It was as close to normal as I was going to get,_ I thought as I shed my clothes and climbed into bed next to a sleeping Bella. Suddenly, I was filled with the desire to just rest my eyes for a few minutes.

**Emmett POV**

If the atmosphere in our car could be considered awkward with Laurent and Irina canoodling in the backseat while Kate muttered to herself about shocking the shit out of them for entertainment, I didn't even want to imagine how oppressive Carlisle's was with his band of misfits in the backseat. Poor Mike was stuck between Tanya and Victoria—it was like a shark sandwich with unsuspecting varsity boy meat. I'd never seen Esme push the limits of a vehicle so far, but Rosalie kept a close distance between the two cars, and we arrived at the Alaskan coven's home in record time.

My wife linked her hand with mine when we met in front of the bumper. The engines thumped and ticked as they cooled while everyone else piled out, heading for the house with nothing better to do. I gave Rosie a small smile while I squeezed her hand and pulled her to me, knowing that the next few hours were going to be tense where Mike and Victoria were concerned. I would have to try to insert myself somehow into their situation—if only to find out the truth, and maybe prevent something horrible from happening.

We were at a severe disadvantage up here. No Alice, Edward, or Jasper meant we were on an even playing field with the enemy. If I was completely honest with myself, I'd admit that we might have a large weakness because a few of us weren't capable of being ruthless. At least I knew that Rosalie would have my back, and I could always count on her to be merciless if the time came.

Carlisle excused himself to make a phone call almost immediately after we'd walked inside, and Esme just followed him out through the back door. Irina and Laurent disappeared hand in hand down a corridor, and I didn't want to think about what was going on behind that closed door, so I turned my attention towards the others wandering around. Rosie and Kate were already deep in discussion about something, no doubt conspiring together from the cackles of laughter breaking out from their corner of the room. But the thing that really worried me was how Victoria was sticking to Mike like she was super glued to his ass while Tanya watched them with a stalker-like obsession from the other side of the room.

"What's up, Little Strawberry?" I asked Tanya as I slid in next to her silently. She didn't react. "Do they know you're having a staring contest?"

"Shut up, Emmett. And keep your voice down."

Wow, she didn't even look at me once as she spoke. Tanya always made eye contact when I made fun of her, and I could at least tell when she was pissed off enough for me to stop if I knew what was good for me. "Fine, fine. I'll just join you in your Creeper corner for a while."

Mike and Victoria continued to have an obviously uncomfortable conversation that was as deep as a mud puddle. From our hiding spot behind several large plants, we could easily hear every stilted word that was spoken as they glossed over topics that couldn't be seen as controversial to a nun. Every few minutes, he would glance around the room to see who else was around, and his eyes would linger on the corner containing Tanya and me. After getting to know Mike over the last few weeks, I was sure he was hoping someone would save him from that unfortunate situation. But he was the one who'd ripped apart Victoria and Laurent, not knowing that you needed to light the pieces on fire to get rid of them for good, so he had to lie in that particular bed of deep shit he'd made for a while longer.

"Yeah, this is boring," I sighed and walked away from Tanya, approaching my wife from behind and wrapping my arms around her waist as she continued to speak with Kate.

Rosie rubbed her hands over my forearms, leaning back into me and instantly calming me in a way that nothing else could. As I breathed in her scent—all flowers and woman and seduction wrapped up in a perfect package—Victoria whispered an invitation to take a walk alone with Michael. _Bad idea, Mikey. You probably shouldn't go anywhere with her alone. Hell, I wouldn't really want to be alone with either one of them. Look at what happened to Edward. Poor dude's broken now, more than he was before._

Right when I moved to follow them out the front door, Carlisle and Esme walked back into the house. "We need to get back as soon as possible, Carlisle. They need us back home," Esme said, obvious concern lacing her voice.

I caught Carlisle's eye as Esme continued past us. "What's going on?"

"I've left Charlie a message asking him to donate a pint or two. I'd like to see if Edward can keep it down since he was having trouble with the donor blood that I brought over to Bella's last night."

This must have been what Carlisle was texting back and forth with Alice about in the car during our drive up here. "Is he okay?"

"He had a very rough night, but Bella and Edward are both resting right now. Alice took him hunting a little while ago, and that seemed to help with the way he was feeling."

Worries filled my thoughts—about Bella's tendency toward selflessness, and especially Edward's apparent helplessness in this situation. I knew that she would do anything without a second thought if she could help him. And he would be stewing in regret, beating himself up over this entire sleeping situation even though it was solely on Mike's irritating shoulders. But we weren't at home right now, and there were more pressing matters right here to take care of first. "Victoria and Mike headed out to talk. Want me to follow?"

Carlisle sighed. "Just let them work things out for themselves. No need for us to be involved any more than we have been. Hopefully, everything will be resolved more quickly. Either way, we leave by the time darkness falls tonight."

I simply nodded my agreement as I turned to see Tanya quietly slip out the door after Mike and Victoria had a nice head start. No need for me to spy on them at all now, was there? Little Strawberry was taking care of that for me, and she had her game face on.

**Michael POV**

Keeping the anger that was coursing through me stuffed deep down, so deep inside that it stayed miles underneath the surface, was almost impossible. But keeping a calm exterior was a necessity when just existing next to Victoria. All she needed was one little crack, one tiny fault to pry her talons into, and she would pick her way in and tear you apart.

I didn't want to believe that the Cullens had set me up, simply hand delivering me to the red headed demon. When someone showed up on your doorstep—alone and vulnerable—asking to stay with your family for a while, you should be able to read between the lines. And after I'd done them a gigantic favor by leaving town last year, making sure that Victoria and Laurent went with me. It wasn't easy worming my way into James' place inside Victoria's black heart, and it certainly wasn't somewhere that I wanted to occupy permanently. I'd merely done it to get the hell out of Dodge. In my opinion, Forks was way too small to be home to so many vampires, especially with those nosy wolves nipping at our heels. I'd only be free to live the wild newborn lifestyle the animal in me demanded if I was on the run, traveling around the world. And it wasn't like my parents gave a crap. As long as I called home every now and then, they didn't seem to give a shit. They were more upset that I couldn't work at the family store for free than anything else.

But the longer the three of us stayed away, the more I itched to be free, and the more attached Victoria seemed to grow to me. The further away we traveled from my hometown, the saner and more normal she became. As long as certain topics were never mentioned, like the Cullens, Bella, James, and strangely enough, hookers, life went pretty smoothly for us. She seemed like a normal girl most of the time, at least for a vampire. Laurent, on the other hand, had remained distrustful, terminally bored, and always searching for powerful people. He must have thought he was stealthy when he'd sneak away and call a woman who had a subtle mysterious accent that I couldn't quite place. But I'd eavesdropped on a good portion of these calls, learning that he'd rather be in what I now knew was Alaska with this Irina chick.

After one easily overheard phone call in a crowded bar, he stuffed the phone in his pocket and muttered, "I'll rip them apart before I spend another moment with these two buffoons." Those simple words sealed his fate. It was then that I decided to act before Laurent could, to be proactive instead of reactive. Soon he would find out how much of a clown I wasn't.

How awesome was it that I awoke as a vampire with a kick ass gift? It was much cooler than being bitten by a radioactive spider or getting toxic waste dumped on me or whatever else gave superheroes their powers. I was shocked to say the least when I knocked out that smug bastard Edward in Bella Swan's front yard. From what I'd gathered, vampires don't sleep—like, ever—and since I was turned, the only time I slept was when Edward forced me to use my gift on myself. I'm pretty sure I have the best superpower that one can have, so why would I waste my time hanging out with regular, boring old vampires? Obviously the ones with special abilities congregate together, so it was logical that I'd head back to Forks after taking care of a few thorns in my side. And Victoria and Laurent never even saw me coming with my hands a blazing.

At the moment, Victoria was uncharacteristically quiet as we walked out into the Alaskan wilderness. While it gave me time to think back over my past nine months as a vampire, it also gave me the space to grow uncomfortable and suspicious. Her eyes were shifty and out of focus like they had been before we left Forks last year. "So," I began, wanting to get this show on the road before it was too late. "You said that you wanted to talk?" I certainly wasn't at ease being out here all alone with her.

Her steps didn't slow when she spoke. "Why didn't you look for me?"

_Because I thought I'd taken care of you permanently._ "Like I said before, I thought that you and Laurent ditched me like you did back in Paris."

My words were met with total silence on her end. Her cold, calculating eyes were back in full force, boring holes through me when she stopped under a tree. If I'd only known that ripping them apart wouldn't kill a vampire back then, my life would be so much easier right now. Damn Laurent for not giving a full course of _Vampire Killing 101_ in his phone calls to Irina.

Victoria sized me up for a full minute before she decided to speak. I found it so hard to stay cool, calm, and collected under her scrutiny. Well, it wasn't hard to stay cool, anyway, when you were both a vampire and me. "That was in the beginning, and it was a test, a mere joke. But how could you think I would leave you after everything that happened between us?"

Great, cryptic girl speak. "I…I couldn't find you and—" Luckily she cut me off before I had to think of a good lie for walking away from their broken bodies and never looking back. Especially when you considered how easily vampires can find one another based on stink alone…

"Why would you go to the Cullens?" Her crazy expression had morphed into one that made her look like she was about to cry if only her body could squirt out a few tears. Since I was capable of making vampires sleep, I briefly wondered if there was a vampire out there that had the gift of being a mood stabilizer. Now that would be a fantastic gift to have—I could make all the hot ladies love me.

"Look, I told you that I was checking on my parents and went to a graduation party for my old classmates while I was in Forks that _just happened_ to be at the Cullen's house. They invited me to stay since it would be easier for me to live with my own kind while I was in town because of those psycho wolves roaming around, and I decided to take them up on the offer." Thank Jesus for the fast moving supernatural mind. It made me a light speed lie generating machine.

"But your eyes?" she asked with black eyes full of suspicion.

"It was part of staying with them, baby. Couldn't provoke those stupid wolves any further." And it was so much easier than hunting humans—certainly didn't taste as delicious, but you got used to it surprisingly quick. It was like going from Coke to Diet Coke. It certainly didn't taste as delicious, but the caffeine kick was still there.

Suddenly, the air seemed to crackle with electricity. While I tried to look around discreetly—and no one seemed to be in the area—she remained oblivious to the change in the atmosphere around us. _Weird. Must be the dry air way up here._

Victoria reached out and ran her hand slowly up my arm, finally cupping my cheek when she reached my face. All of those months of going along with whatever she wanted out of fear of provoking her crazy streak kicked in again, but I thankfully didn't jerk away even though I really, really wanted to run for the hills.

"Are you sure you didn't stay there because you wanted the mind reader's plaything for yourself?"

The static electricity grew stronger while a chill seemed to shoot from Victoria's hand down into my body and out of my feet. "What?" Thank God I couldn't break out into a sweat anymore. "Who the hell is a mind reader? I have no idea what you're talking about."

Victoria cackled, dropping her hand from my cheek and turning away as she continued to laugh at my apparent ignorance. "Edward, you fool, has read every single thought you've had about his precious Bella."

_Ah, shit. No wonder he hated me all of this time. _"Oh," was my answer. "I thought that I proved to you while we traveled that I didn't want Bella Swan. I only wanted her dead." If she would have taken the time to explain the whole vampire mating thing to me when I was a newbie, I never would have wasted my time. Come to find out through Emmett actually, there were a ton of things Victoria and Laurent should have explained to me about being a vampire. But they kept me in the dark so I was easily manipulated, bent to their will. No way in hell was I going to be in that position again.

Turning back to face me, her icy expression wordlessly defied me to prove my commitment to her, so I rambled on. "Seriously, it was just a leftover human crush, that's all. There were slim pickings in Forks. Besides, Edward and Bella are mates—nothing can separate them."

"Death can separate them _very_ easily."

I scoffed. I didn't like the turn this conversation was taking, especially since I knew that Edward had killed James when Bella's life was threatened. I was very lucky to be alive at this point, even luckier that the Cullens let me grace their presence.

A flash of reddish–yellow in the distance over Victoria's shoulder distracted me long enough for her to snake an arm around my waist and pull me against her body. "Nothing can separate us again, lover."

Awwwwwkward. It's not you, it's me—that was what I was supposed to say to try to ease my way out of this, right? I certainly couldn't come right out and say "You were the most vile female I've ever known, and I am now strong enough to get away from you, you crazy bitch." All of those words wanted to spill out of my mouth, but I knew they would mean instant dismemberment or worse. "Babe, she's never meant anything to me. I promise that's not why I'm doing this. Look—I just want to settle down somewhere, go to college. The Cullens have a ton of cash and I figure I can sponge off of them for a while."

My words were met with a confused expression, her brows knitted together over distant eyes staring to the left of my head. "You want to be domesticated like cattle?"

"Huh?" I pushed away from her. More of the crazy talk from Victoria. At least she wasn't physically abusing me this time.

"Cooped up, roaming the same land until someone culls you."

I really had no idea what she was trying to say. "I just want to get back to my life before all of this happened. I had big dreams, ya know. Didn't you have dreams back when you were human?"

Her eyes narrowed and she took another step backward. "Well now, don't let me get in the way of your _dreams_."

I don't know why I felt the need to explain myself, to try and leave her peacefully. Maybe I should have tried to knock her out again, even though I hadn't used my power in months. But the urge to do this nobly was at the front of my mind for some reason.

"I didn't mean it that way, Vic. It feels like I need to be doing something productive with this second life, not just wandering around and taking people's lives away to satisfy my own hunger." But man, do they taste so much better than animals.

An emotionless cold mask slipped over her face after a brief burst of disgust. "I'm sure the Cullens can help you with that. Goodbye, Michael. Look me up when you grow tired of your goodwill missions."

"Bye," I answered, leaving her to watch the mountains as I went back to the house. The weight on my shoulders became lighter and lighter with every step I took.

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A/N: I have the next chapter outlined, so I hope to have it done and posted before July is up. Sorry it took so long for this one, but I've been working on an original novel, reading books for my book review blog, going to Book Expo America, work has been crazy busy, and betaing for other fics as well as my critique partners original novels. Drop me a line to let me know that you're still reading, and hopefully enjoying Push and Pull.


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: The usual thanks go to Erikasbuddy, VixenOnFire, and Masenjar for setting their eyes on this with quick turn around. I don't own anything either, so on with the show.**

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**Chapter 30**

** Tanya POV**

Distrust roiled in the pit of my stomach as I pretended not to watch Irina's boyfriend and that crimson haired devil disappear out the door into the wilderness. Victoria's sudden decision to adopt our diet mere hours after the Cullens and Mike left was startling, and although she sounded sincere in her declarations, I was positive that she was up to something. I couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something bad was going to happen. But at the same time, she was out hunting with Laurent, which got those two out of our house—where they certainly didn't belong—and I couldn't bring myself to really care if they ever came back either.

In all of our years walking this earth, not one of us had found a mate. Were my sisters and I were doomed to be eternal spinsters, never knowing the joys of mated life? What if our mates had been human and we'd never crossed paths? They lived and died, never getting the opportunity to spend eternity with their soul mate. It appeared that a vampire only had one mate, so if you missed your chance or your mate passed on to the next plane, you were out of luck.

Once upon a time I'd thought I could have had something close to that with Edward Cullen, but he was unattainable—the ideal, untainted, moral, yet uptight man that would never dream of having someone as life experienced as myself. But after stepping into that clearing and a simple handshake, I now had a small hope—a tiny spark—that maybe a mate was out there for me. I'd waited this long, and I could hold on a little longer to figure out if this was indeed happening.

Standing out on the back deck of our house, looking toward the mountains for who knows how long while I was lost in thought, my eyes focused on a faint purple column of smoke beginning to lift skyward in the distance. My eyelids fluttered shut, and I squeezed them closed tightly for several seconds as my heart seemed to drop to my feet. That characteristic smoke only meant one thing, and every time I saw the tell-tale haze of burning vampire flesh, I immediately thought of my long dead mother.

Snapping my eyes open, the smoke billowed ahead of me, growing thicker and darker as it rose into the air. "Everyone," I said in a slightly elevated voice. "We have a problem."

**Edward POV**

I'd been human blood free for two days. And all I'd dreamed of when I closed my eyes was latching my lips onto Bella's creamy neck, sinking my teeth into her skin, and drinking deep. My sleep pattern was back after I'd sunk into a dreamless slumber next to Bella after returning from my hunting trip, which was necessary after the incident where I'd binged and purged that bag of O negative. Shame burned in my gut every time I thought of how Bella had to clean me up like I was some kind of junkie, passed out in his own urine and vomit. But the pattern was altered slightly, and now I grew fatigued during the day too. I'd succumbed to the urge to take a nap yesterday afternoon, passing out for forty-five minutes.

_Stop beating yourself up, bro. You're killing me, _Jasper thought from downstairs.

And Jasper was right. I should be enjoying the small amount of time that Bella and I have left together alone in my bedroom, snuggled together on the bed watching a movie before everyone got back from Alaska. Unfortunately, Carlisle called to say that Mike was coming back to Forks too. I didn't realize that I had growled in anger until Bella shifted to look up at me.

"We're watching a comedy, Edward. What has you so mad?"

Knowing she'd see right through me if I told her that nothing was wrong, I decided to be direct. "I don't see why they didn't just leave Mike in Alaska."

"We both heard Carlisle on the phone. Mike asked if he could come back here, and they worked out terms for that to be acceptable. He and Victoria parted ways amicably, one of your cousins saw the whole thing."

"I don't trust either one of them, Bella. Something's not right about this entire situation."

Laying her head back down on my chest, she spoke in a quiet voice. "What are we supposed to do, live in fear? What kind of life is that?"

As I smoothed my hand down over her hair, thinking about how much easier our lives would be if we just took Mike and Victoria out of this existence, I remained quiet. There wasn't anything I could say because my world was in shambles at the moment. The shining bright spot was my relationship with Bella and her unconditional love.

Soon, Bella's breathing became deep and even as sleep had overtaken her, leaving me to plot murderous schemes inside of my head that I'd never be allowed to undertake. I grabbed the remote and turned off the movie, leaving only the sounds of Jasper and Alice moving about the house and the distant cacophony of wildlife as a low hum in the background. The characteristic high-pitched squeal of Charlie's brakes as he slowed to turn into our driveway stabbed straight into my ears, making me wince at the unwelcome sound.

_What was he doing here, invading our sacred space?_ Charlie knew that Bella and I were spending the day at my family's home while he worked his shift, but now that night was beginning to fall, he must have come to collect his daughter. Deciding to hide in my room with Bella tucked tightly into my side was a selfish decision, but it was one I'd already made. Alice or Jasper could answer the door.

Charlie's muddled thoughts became a little clearer as he eased up our driveway. _Can't believe I agreed to open up a vein for this kid. Carlisle promised this was okay to do at their house._

If Carlisle had invited Charlie over, where was the rest of my family? Why weren't they weren't back from Alaska yet?

The slamming of a car door was followed several seconds later by footsteps on the front threshold. Alice opened the front door before Charlie had a chance to knock. Standing firm in my decision to not move from Bella's sleeping side, I just watched everything through Alice's thoughts.

"Good to see you, Charlie," she said, holding the door open wide to let Bella's father walk inside.

"You too, Alice." Charlie looked around the living room. "Where's Bella?"

I could hear Alice pause to listen for Bella, determining what we were doing up here. "Sounds like she's taking a nap. Hungry? Want something to drink?"

Their steps echoed through the house as they walked into the kitchen. Bella's breathing remained steady and even.

"I'd offer you a beer, but Carlisle said that may taint your donation. I can only give you water."

What the hell, Alice knew why Charlie was here? Why was I always the last to know what was going on anymore? And I was the mind reader in the family.

"I really hope you don't have beer in your refrigerator for Bella," Charlie said in a gruff, accusatory voice.

But Alice giggled, and I could see the corners of the Chief's lips curling up as he spoke and waited for her reaction. "Of course not, Charlie. They're left over from the last time you had dinner here."

The tinkling of ice on glass following by liquid rolling, fracturing the cubes as water was poured into a tumbler filled the air. This was a ridiculous game to play, but I didn't want to leave Bella's side and have her wake up without me. Plus, Charlie always seemed to forget that we had excellent hearing. Who knew what he'd say about me?

"Carlisle will be here in two minutes. He had to stop by the hospital to get some supplies."

The soft scraping of a chair across the kitchen floor filled the air, followed by the slight creak of wood as someone sat down before Charlie spoke. "Then the bloodletting can begin."

"Oh, Charlie. You know that we wouldn't ask this of you if it wasn't life or death, right?"

"I gathered that much from your Dad's cryptic phone call. I'll do anything I can to help him out…for Bella's sake."

The familiar purr of Carlisle's car drew near, and one of the garage doors opened in preparation for their arrival.

"He'll explain anything that you want to know about the situation. They're pulling into the garage now."

_Edward, wake Bella up and get your eavesdropping ass down here, _Alice thought. One of her visions invaded my head at the tail end. A thick, purple cloud of smoke billowed up toward the sky with a snow-capped mountain in the background.

_What the hell was that?_ I thought about asking her out loud.

_I'm not sure—maybe our Alaskan cousins got smart and started a bonfire with Victoria and Laurent? The geography looks right for it to be in Denali. Wake up Bella and get down here. We're going to need you._

While Esme and Carlisle greeted Charlie, Jasper, and Alice downstairs, I gently woke Bella to kisses on her forehead and cheek. She stirred in my arms, smiling and returning the pecks with a gentle brush of her lips to my chest before straddling my lap.

"Bella?" I whispered, needing to ask her to stop pressing into me but not able to form the words. She was so warm, so insistent as she ran her hands along my chest and moved her hips the way we both loved. I guess she wouldn't see it as discouraging when I grabbed her hips and held her closer to me, helping her get more leverage.

Everything but Bella dropped away. No one's thoughts invaded my mind, and I only knew that she existed in front of me. That was what mattered. And that was why we were both surprised when there was a loud knocking on the bedroom door. We froze in place—my hand underneath Bella's shirt, palming her breast, and Bella was in the middle of unbuttoning my pants.

"Edward, Bella? Charlie's downstairs. Why don't you join us in the family room." Esme's calm, authoritative voice was the ultimate bucket of cold water.

As Bella tried to catch her breath, she let out a frustrated groan. "Why is my dad here?"

"I don't know, but we better find out before he comes looking for us."

In a matter of minutes, we were seated on the loveseat in the family room with a respectable distance between our bodies. Charlie looked anxious, and his thoughts weren't any easier to read than normal as he leaned back on one end of the couch. Esme, Alice, and Jasper were stationed around the room.

"Where's Emmett and Rosalie?" I asked, omitting he who shall not be named.

"They left a few hours after we did," Esme answered as Carlisle walked into the room.

"Now that everyone is here, let's get started. Charlie, you know that some of us have special skills, like Alice has visions of the future." Carlisle paused and waited for Bella's father to answer.

Charlie cleared his throat. "Um, yeah."

"When Michael Newton fought with Edward the night he kidnapped Bella in your front yard, we found out that Michael also has one of these gifts. But he used it on Edward as a means of self-defense, and it has some long lasting side effects."

Understanding passed across Charlie's face. "You mean Edward's sleeping?"

"That's exactly what Carlisle means, Dad," Bella said with a sad smile on her lips.

Charlie leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. "So what's this have to do with me donating blood?"

Carlisle leveled his gaze at the Chief. "Edward needs human blood to drink so he won't sleep anymore."

"I'm not opening a vein just so he can—" Charlie started before Bella cut him off.

"Dad, please, just hear him out. Could you explain everything, Carlisle? I'd like to know more too."

Carlisle smiled slightly at Bella before turning clinical again. "Sure. From what we've seen, Mike's used his power on Edward, two other nomadic vampires, and it's also been forced on himself. Edward is the only one who has a different diet than the other three at the time of the exposure to Mike's sleep-inducing gift. And Edward is the only one who continues to sleep night after night. The other three vampires who drink human blood don't sleep at all."

"So let me see if I'm following you, Doc. Edward, here, seems to still be sleeping because you guys are nice and don't kill people. And now you want to see if he drinks a bunch of people juice, he'll permanently stay awake?"

"Pretty much, Charlie," Alice said.

"I've already donated," Bella said, her words coming out in a rush.

"But it wasn't enough to make much of a difference," Carlisle added, diverting attention away from her blushing cheeks. "We've tried donor blood from the hospital, but he couldn't keep it down. For some reason, Edward's system is rejecting all blood besides Bella's. It might be the preservatives used in the packaging of the pints for storage. We'd like to try fresh blood."

"We don't have anyone else that we can ask to help us out, Charlie." Alice gave him her brightest smile.

"I already agreed to do this, Alice. You don't have to charm me."

Carlisle's thoughts came through loud and clear while everyone talked amongst themselves. _Charlie might be your only hope since he has the same blood type as Bella, and they are direct descendants. I think that you've been drinking your singer's blood too long, Edward. Who knows what this has done to you? No one has ever done what you and Bella have been doing these past months. No vampire has ever been able to resist draining their singer. You have to understand that we are in uncharted territory. _

We were driving blind, as usual. Sure, we had Alice's visions, but how helpful were those most of the time? Everything was in a constant state of upheaval since Bella Swan walked into that classroom so long ago.

"Emmett, Rosalie, and Mike will be arriving in twenty minutes," Alice announced.

I scowled at the sound of Mike's name, and Charlie immediately picked up on it.

"I'm not thrilled with that punk being indestructible and prancing around Forks either, kid. You and Bella should just stick close to the house." Charlie turned his attention to Carlisle. "Seriously, why are you letting that delinquent stay here? Don't vampires have your own version of the justice system?"

Jasper snorted, his thoughts filling with his version of a vampire justice system. It was purely Jasper dressed as Walker Texas Ranger going around ripping off the heads of misbehaving vampires all over the world. Giant bonfires blazed in the background as he walked off into the sunset, Alice draped off his arm as he tipped his cowboy hat. Chuck Norris better watch out, Jasper was about to take over…

I couldn't wait to tell Emmett about that one.

Carlisle debated with himself about how much he could actually tell Charlie about the Volturi. "We have something like that, Charlie, but they are very powerful, very old, and very corrupt—set in their ways. Their word is the law, and to disobey—no matter how wrong or old-fashioned their thinking may be—ensures a death sentence. Delivering Michael to them would be giving them a powerful weapon wrapped with a pretty red bow."

"Not to mention that it would lead to dropping two more priceless presents on their doorstep," Jasper added, his gaze moving from me to his wife.

"Sounds more like the mafia than the cops." Charlie mulled over Carlisle's serious words for a few seconds. If he steps out of line, I'm sure the boys in LaPush would be happy to see him again."

"I'll keep that in mind. But for now, we'll keep a close eye on him. We have to find a way to cure Edward while keeping Michael blissfully ignorant of the situation."

Bella leaned into my side, a yawn escaping her pretty lips.

"You ready to go?" I asked, hoping to get out of this house before anyone else arrived.

Bella nodded her head and stood up to go. "We're going home. Dad, we'll see you there?"

Charlie looked up at the two of us briefly. "Can we do this blood thing at my house, Carlisle? I want to give the kids a ride to the house."

"Of course, just let me grab the supplies."

**Alice POV**

Just after two in the morning, several hours after Emmett, Rosalie, and Mike had returned from Alaska and Edward, Bella, and Charlie had left our house, I found myself absently organizing the clothing in Edward's closet. Between the two of them, I didn't see how either Bella or Edward could find a decent outfit to put together because nothing was hanging where it should be. I sorted things by color and style, letting my mind wander as the time slipped away. Esme, Rosalie, and I were the only ones left in the house after Carlisle had been called into the hospital while the others had gone hunting.

Suddenly, I froze in place as a powerfully vivid vision took over, and it was one that I'd had previously. Just as before, Bella's house, bathed in darkness, flashed in the distance as if someone was watching from a few blocks away. As the perspective sped toward the home at the lightning speed that only a supernatural creature could possess, the focus finally came to rest on Edward and Bella sleeping in her room. Whoever was watching them seemed to be peering in through the window. Mercifully, the vision went black before the scene swept into Charlie's room, where the previous vision had shown his murdered body. I didn't want to see his bloodied body again. It was bad enough that I could recall that with perfect clarity whenever I wanted.

I replayed the scene in my mind, looking for any subtle detail to gauge when this might happen. After a few seconds, I found Bella's overly large homemade calendar hanging on the wall. A large hash mark crossed off yesterday's date. Bella always drew a large X through the day before she went to bed; it was the system we'd agreed on.

_Oh my God. This was happening any time now. We should have had several more days._

Closing my eyes as I realized what this meant, I searched my vision for the alarm clock that sat on her nightstand. If this was happening, I needed to know the time frame so I could get to the house, if it was even possible now. A shirt hung halfway over the display, obscuring the minutes. Only the hour mark showing three o'clock glowed a deep red.

I grabbed my phone and sprinted all the way to the end of our driveway before the ramifications of my intended actions hit me in the form of another vision. There were flashes of flame red hair and pale skin breaking through the large living room window of Bella's house after she caught my scent and found me waiting inside the house. The noise from our struggle was too loud, and both Charlie and Bella came downstairs to investigate. Their deaths via Victoria was quick but not painless, and their blood would be on my hands because I had tried to ambush the vengeful vampire.

My shoulders slumped as I realized that I couldn't go near Bella's house. Similar scenarios with Rosalie, or Emmett and Jasper were met with the same result. Even though only two minutes had passed since I'd had the vision, the time we had was so precious I couldn't waste any more of it.

I dialed the phone. Jasper always knew what to do. I didn't waste any time on pleasantries before launching into the situation, knowing that he would be ready to talk strategy immediately.

"We'll send Mike," he said confidently.

"You really think that will work?"

"I think it's our only option to take her down. We'll head there now, but Emmett and I will hang back a ways and let Mike approach her outside of the house before she gets inside."

I looked inward. "Okay. This just might work. Prep Mike on the way, and just don't mention anything about Edward sleeping inside of Bella's room. Hopefully he doesn't see that for himself."

**Jasper POV**

"Victoria has returned to Forks, and only you can stop her from killing Bella and Charlie, Mike." I clamped a hand down on his shoulder for good measure to level the seriousness of my words.

"Me? Why do I have to do it? Where's Edward?" The little shit had the nerve to look nervous and question me when I used my authoritative voice.

"Because my wife says so, that's why. Edward's out hunting right now and if he shows up, the results will be disastrous. You can't let Victoria inside of Bella's house. Now nut up and let's go. Time's a wastin'."

Mike stood in place, not making a move in the direction we needed to go. "You guys will be there with me, right?"

"Have you learned nothing from what I've taught you, man? Trust Alice's visions. If she says you have to do this alone, we can't be with you." Emmett gave Mike a little shove from behind. "Move it. You need to stop your girlfriend."

"Okay, okay." Mike started walking hesitantly, but picked up the pace as he sensed the urgency in our steps beside him. "And she was never my girlfriend."

The anxiety and fear came off Mike in waves, but I didn't have time to manipulate his emotions. "We'll be listening nearby—helping out if necessary—but Victoria will kill all of them if we are with you. It can only be you."

"Got it."

"And she can't know that you're there to intercept her. She must believe that you just stumbled upon her by chance—that it was an accidental meeting."

"Ten-four," Mike said, nodding his head.

"We're not truck drivers, dipshit. We're running out of time, so you better keep up," Emmett said before breaking out into a dead sprint.

It was almost comical to see such a bulky man run so fast with such grace, but Mike kept pace with Emmett while I lagged behind a few seconds to make sure that he didn't chicken out and go AWOL on us. I wasn't sure he grasped the seriousness of our situation—that lives really were at stake.

About a mile away from Bella's house, we stopped in the quiet forest where we would separate and have to trust Mike implicitly. "You'll have to get to her before she gets inside of the house, but make sure you don't go in either. Alice said that neither one of you can go inside or look into Bella's bedroom. It will set Victoria off, make her super jealous if she thinks you're still creeping on Bella."

Mike shook his head, wordlessly confirming his understanding.

"Don't fuck this up. If we have to show up down there, Victoria will rip your head off and light your ass on fire right in Bella's yard before we can do anything except break out the marshmallows for the bonfire."

His eyes went wide before he took in a huge breath. "I'll do my best."

A little lie to motivate and scare the shit out of him couldn't hurt things, could it?

**Bella POV**

A muffled male voice leaked into my dream, pulling me from my slumber. The tone and cadence were familiar, but I couldn't understand why his voice was so close to the side of my house in the middle of the night. I was afraid to move or even breathe differently—anything that would give away my consciousness.

The intermittent flash of green light from my cellphone was like a beacon in stormy seas to me. I couldn't resist reaching out for my phone, if only to stop the annoying blinking of the LED in the darkened room. As quietly as was possible, I eased the phone off of the nightstand and pulled it under the blankets to block the light out as best as I could.

With the simple press of a button, the screen flared to life. I squinted at the brightness as I scrolled to the awaiting text message from Alice.

_I love you, Edward, and Charlie. I'm doing my best to help, but Victoria came early. My hands are tied. Whatever you do, feign sleep. _

My heart raced as the screen went black. I caught a faint wisp of a female voice as the wind calmed outside. Slowly turning onto my side to face Edward, who was sleeping on his back, I took in all I could before me in the dim, moonlit room. Would this be the last sight I would see—Edward's beautiful face, so peaceful in slumber? I reached out and caressed his cheek, a small smile forming on his lips as he melted into my hand.

_He reacted to my touch?_ Edward wasn't dead-sound asleep like he used to be every night for hours. Maybe there was a chance that I could wake him, and he could protect Charlie and me?

"I thought you were staying in Alaska?" Mike said, his voice carrying up to my room on a gust of wind.

_You both should be far, far away forever. Dead, even._ I waited for someone to answer Mike's question, but they must have spoken too quietly for me to hear.

I boldly reached over and shook Edward's arm, but he didn't respond.

"Why are you here in the middle of the night?" a female's voice asked. The undertone of a threat made my blood run cold. The voice was too close to my front door for my comfort.

"I wasn't just hanging out here, Vic," Mike answered calmly. "This just happens to be on the shortest path from the Cullen's house to my parents' place—need to pick up a few things from there."

Only the whistling of the wind outside could be heard along with the sound of my heart beating in my ears as I strained to hear her response. But there was only a stony silence.

"Why don't you walk with me, keep me company?" Mike seemed to be trying to lead who I now recognized was indeed Victoria away from our house. But why?

I _had_ to wake up Edward, so I shook his arm more violently this time. He rolled his head toward me, but he was still asleep.

"I have a better idea," she said in a voice that was so cold yet so seductive, I knew I wasn't going to like what came out of her mouth next. "Why don't we both go inside, have a little snack just like old times, and then be on our way?"

Mike scoffed. "And destroy my gravy train? Please. I don't need any enemies."

"If you continue like this, you'll have the worst enemy you could ever imagine."

The loud snap of wood splintering filled the air, and I fought hard with myself to not sit up. My heart began to pound in my chest. Were they trying to climb the tree?

"There are plenty of people in town that you can have, just leave the ones inside of this house alone," Mike commanded.

"You're not a newborn anymore, Michael. I'd like to see you try to stop me. You never have been strong enough to."

With the threat of a vampire fight outside of my window, I couldn't act like I was sleeping any longer, waiting to die. I straddled Edward, grabbed his shoulders, and tried to shake him awake—all to no avail.

I frantically scanned my room for some idea of how to breach the wall and raise him from the depths of unconsciousness. _The only time he seems to stay awake has been after he's been drinking my blood…_

The glint of silver in a shaft of moonlight that was shining onto my desk caught my eye. Hearing Mike and Victoria continue to argue in the background, I crept as quietly as I could to retrieve the scissors, returning to my position over Edward's sleeping body on the bed. I opened the metal blades as far as they would go, pushing one of the sharp metal points into my palm and slicing into the meat until blood flowed. _Here goes nothing, _I thought as I held my hand over Edward's open mouth. I didn't have time to think about the pain radiating out from the wound as the warm liquid dripped down my hand onto his lips.

"Let me pass, Mike," I heard Victoria demand as Edward licked his lips and began to stir below me.

"Never," he growled in return.

_Keep stalling, Mike._ Edward's hand clamped over the back of my bleeding one, holding it to his mouth before applying a forceful suction. His eyes remained stubbornly closed, and I couldn't tell if he was awake or not.

A loud crash, like heavy metal scraping against metal, startled me. Edward never released his grip on my hand as my body jerked forward, but his eyelids finally flipped open.

"What's wrong with your hand?" Victoria screeched. "Don't touch me."

As the sounds of a struggle increased outside of the window, he released my hand. I raised my index finger to my lips as Edward unsuccessfully tried to sit up. Sleep would not let go of the iron grip on his body.

"It was you…you tried to kill me before." Victoria's voice grew more frantic.

"Finally figured that out, did ya?" Mike replied, his voice eerily calm and much too loud. There was no way the neighbors and Charlie were sleeping through this. _Alice, please see this and send help._

Leaning down onto Edward's chest, I lowered my lips to his ear. "Alice texted me to warn us," I breathed. "Giving you blood was the only thing that would wake you, so you need to drink to protect us—to get you moving again."

I sat up slightly, looking for his affirmation. I didn't wait to see any hesitation in his eyes as I pushed my hair to the other side of my shoulders and offered Edward the only place he hadn't bitten me before—my neck.

His sharp teeth pierced my thin skin, and the venom flared fire inside my veins for a moment before he drew in a mouthful of my blood. This was my offering, my sacrifice. This was the only way to heal Edward, to make him whole and strong again, to protect us from the red-headed devil outside that was hell bent on wiping us off the face of the earth. Warm blood continued to flow down my palm onto the bed as it exited my body through my neck at the same time.

Everything suddenly grew silent outside. There was no wind, no sounds of sparring, not even the din of wildlife from the forest dared disturb the air.

Mere feet away, a deep growl erupted from someone's throat, and a hiss filled the air from the tree right next to my window. Unable to turn my head to see what lay outside my closed windows in the dark—and not sure that I wanted to know—I closed my eyes and prayed for a miracle. Both Mike and Victoria must have smelled my freely flowing blood.

Wood splintered, glass shattered as stone bashed against stone. Everything was forced into the background while my heart pounded in my chest as my love grew strong from my body's life force. I heard glimpses of Emmett and Jasper arriving like the Calvary to help defeat Victoria, but the yips and yells faded to mere whispers as their familiar voices clashed in battle cries.

My once strong grip on Edward's shoulder grew weaker as he moved to cradle me in his arms, his mouth still latched on my neck. The normally erotic action now chilled me to the bone, and blackness began to creep into the corners of my vision.

Gasping between my quick breaths as he clutched me tightly in his arms, my head swam whenever I opened my eyes. "Please," I whispered.

But my plea went unanswered. Soon the world went black even when my eyes were open. The whooshing of the rapid beating of my heart as it tried to pump blood that was barely there echoed loud in my ears. I became lighter than air, and let go.

* * *

**It only took me two years, but I finally got to the point in this little story that I'd had planned from the beginning. The end is very near, and subsequently, I'm going to go back through the earlier chapters and edit this puppy. My writing style has changed, I've learned a thing or two about commas and clichés since I started writing this in 2010, and I'd just like to whip this into better shape before hitting that button and marking it complete.**

**Also, I've recommended several fics over the span of these months, and a large chunk have been pulled—either to publish or just out right disappearing into the ether—and I'd like to update the status of these so future readers can have a clue what happened to these wonderful stories. On that note, I'd like to recommend a few real life books that I've read and absolutely loved.**

**_Pushing the Limits_ by Katie McGarry and _Ryder_ by Greta Maloney (only available on Amazon)**

**Thank you for reading.**


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: The usual thanks to VixenOnFire and Masenjar for the prereading skills. Erikasbuddy went the extra mile with this one, and she's super awesome. No infringement intended as usual, and thanks for reading :)**

* * *

**Chapter 31 **

**Edward POV**

I gulped greedily, eager to regain full control of my body to protect my beloved and her father from the savages outside her window. Bella fell limp in my arms. The haze of bloodlust cleared, and I pulled away from her pale neck. _Oh, my God, what had I done?_

"Bella?" Her head lolled to the side as I held her away from me, awaiting an answer. She didn't reply, but her heart hammered irregularly as her eyes stared into the nothingness of the room.

I found my cell phone on the nightstand, and then dialed Carlisle's number while applying pressure to her bite wound with my other hand. Thankfully he answered after two rings because I was about to lose it.

"Carlisle, I—Bella needs you. She's lost most of her blood."

"Alice already called me. I'm about five minutes away. Edward, hang on."

I choked back a sob, hoping that he would get here in time. In the background, a screech filled the air accompanied by the sound of stone breaking. _Please, let that be Victoria or Mike being torn to pieces._

"What the hell is going on outside?" Charlie demanded as he pushed open the bedroom door. He froze in place in the entryway, shocked silent at the sight before him. I'd never been able to hear or see his thoughts more clearly than at that moment.

The scene of his daughter lying still in my arms was horrific. Bella's blood stained my mouth as I sat on the bed, stunned and attempting to hold her wound closed, and that was what Charlie chose to fixate on as he ground his teeth together. Tears began to flood his eyes, but the hard set of his chin refused to budge. "Get your hands off of her. Do you hear? Move away from her, NOW!" Charlie moved towards the bed, desperately grabbing for Bella as he pushed at me with one arm.

I let him shove me to the side. Charlie sobbed into Bella's hair as he held his dying daughter gently against his chest. I listened for her heartbeat—once steady and strong—and it fluttered as I helplessly rocked back and forth next to the bed. Her strength and vitality had been transferred into my body, and now it crackled and hummed in my tissues instead of hers.

"Bells, you gotta wake up, kiddo." He felt for a pulse on the side of her neck that hadn't been ravaged by my teeth, giving up after finding nothing with shaking fingers. "Murderer," he said, his voice full of loathing.

"She's alive, Charlie. I can hear her heart beating."

"Liar," he yelled.

I grabbed desperately at my clothes and then at my hair, wanting instead to rip him away and go to Bella. "Carlisle's almost here. He'll know what to do."

Charlie leaned in and kissed his daughter's forehead, his lips moving soundlessly as he pulled away a few inches. He gently eased her down onto the bed before holding her hand while sitting quietly with his head bowed, his eyes squeezed shut. A stray thought of how cold her hand was growing flitted across his mind absently.

Her heart pumped furiously in her chest, sounding more hummingbird than human. The sounds of fighting had mysteriously ceased outside, yet I had to strain to hear Bella's shallow breathing as her father stood up and stormed out of the room.

I didn't waste a second before I let venom pool in my mouth, coating my teeth as I leaned into the unmarked side of her neck and bit down. I just hoped that it wasn't too late. There was no way I could live without her.

**Alice POV**

By the time I realized that I could move closer to Bella's house without affecting the outcome of events, I feared I'd be too late. Things went south between Victoria and Mike pretty quickly, but I couldn't blame Bella for doing the only thing that she knew would wake up Edward. She needed protection for herself and Charlie, and it was something that our family couldn't outright supply at that moment.

Esme and Rosalie were several minutes behind me as I moved through the woods. I called Carlisle to ask him to leave the hospital while I ran, dodging trees as I spoke quickly. As soon as Bella decided to slice into her hand with scissors, the rest of the vision played out before my eyes. I knew time was of the essence, and Edward wasn't going to be much help.

Charlie's cruiser sped off down the street just as I emerged from the tree line, but I didn't have time to think about where he was going at this time of night. The empty yard underneath Bella's bedroom window was scarred and pitted. Deep grooves were dug into the earth in spots through the back yard leading into the woods. The top half of the large tree that reached skyward next to the house was broken off close to the roofline; the splintered upper portion hung haphazardly over a power line at the rear of the yard.

Quite simply, the Swan property looked like a war zone minus the copious dead bodies strewn about, and the first casualty was upstairs with a heartbeat that was fading fast. I pushed aside my worry for Jasper and Emmett, knowing that they could take care of themselves. My money was on Jasper every time. Although, the severed vampire hand that was shining gently in the moonlight on a pile of the dirt did worry me. When I picked it up, I knew it was Mike's and I almost tossed it back to the ground. But I thought better of it once I considered the possibility of a human discovering it, so I brought it inside and wrapped it in the first thing I found: a plastic grocery bag.

Nothing I'd seen in the past decades of my existence had prepared me for the scene in that upstairs bedroom. A heavy metallic tang hung in the air as I knelt next to the bed that held my deathly still best friend, unwittingly placing my knee in a small puddle of Bella's blood that had somehow pooled on the floor. The vision I'd had earlier of her slashing her palm flashed before my eyes unbidden. Of course that was the source of the blood. I placed a hand on Edward's shoulder as he clung to Bella, her limp body unresponsive in his arms.

"I've bitten her, Alice, and it's not working. My venom isn't working," he choked out.

I peered around Edward's shoulder to get a closer look at Bella. Tell-tale crescent shaped bite wounds covered her vital pulse points, glistening pale pink from the venom that coated her skin and muscles exposed below. But something was wrong since very little blood seeped from these wounds, and I feared that she was too far gone to save.

Carlisle rushed into the room, leather bag in hand as he motioned for Edward to put Bella down on the bed. "How long has she been like this?" he asked as he examined the wound on her neck.

"Eight minutes," Edward whispered.

"And how long since you started the change?"

"I don't know," he yelled. "Five? She should be burning by now if it was working."

"Get the bags of Charlie's blood from the refrigerator, Alice."

By the time I ran downstairs, grabbed the blood, and went back to bedroom, Carlisle had already setup clear tubing and was ripping open a sterile package containing a thin needle.

"She needs a transfusion. Good thing Charlie is the same blood type as Bella." How Carlisle could remain so calm in the face of such pressure was a mystery to me. I wanted to scream and kill my brother.

"Will this work?" Edward turned from Carlisle to me, his crimson eyes desperate and sad as he waited for an answer.

I tried to look for Bella's future, but all I found was darkness. "It's too soon to tell."

**Jasper POV**

We were at an impasse. In a copse of pine trees a few miles from the boundary line, a tense standoff had begun as we finally cornered Victoria and Mike after they'd wisely fled Bella's yard. Forks was no place for a fight, especially with the scent of fresh blood saturating the air. I still had no idea what was going on inside of that bedroom when Emmett and I emerged from the woods to find both Mike and Victoria scrambling to break in through the window, but it wasn't something to dwell on at the moment.

Mike was losing venom through his wound, cradling his severed wrist to his chest as it dripped sweet smelling fluid onto his shirt. As he grew weaker, he eventually slowed down and refused to run anymore. Expecting Victoria to abandon him in the woods and save herself, we were surprised to see her stop a safe distance away from Mike, with Emmett and I several yards behind them.

"Come on, Michael," Victoria demanded.

Clutching his wrist, Mike scoffed. "You really think I'm going with you? What kinda masochist do you think I am?"

I cast a curious glance to Emmett, and he just shrugged in return. It was best to just let this play itself out for a little while. At least we weren't giving chase through the woods or in the plain view of humans right now.

"But I thought…you tried to get to Bella too," she stuttered.

Clearly, Victoria was unnerved when it came to understanding Mike.

"There was a lot of blood flowing inside of that room. I reacted like any vampire would, you idiot." He held his injured arm in the air. "Guys? Is there such a thing as a tourniquet for a vampire?"

I just shook my head back and forth while I arched an eyebrow. That wound was a problem, but nothing major at the moment. I'd seen much worse in my day.

Emmett snickered in the background while Mike continued to speak with his arm raised over his head, as if gravity would help his predicament. "So, what? You thought that my reaction was me switching sides—joining COBRA Command when I could be G.I. Joe? Even after what I'd just said about getting away from there, like, ten seconds earlier?"

Victoria's mask of cool disaffectedness turned to confusion when it slipped for a second, and then rage I felt radiating spikes from her shone in her eyes and the set of her lips.

Maybe it was cruel of me to let this play out without altering their emotions with the use of my gift, but they needed to get it all out. And more importantly, we needed to see where their true motivations lay.

"You really want to stay with _them_?" Victoria referred to us as if we were the scum of the earth and it wasn't the other way around.

Mike's irritation flared around him in a brilliant plume of green. "Oh, my God, am I not speaking English? For fuck's sake, woman. I don't want to be anywhere near you. Ever. Again!"

His raised voice had me scrambling to control Victoria's emotions. But I was too late as she closed the gap between herself and Mike, leaning in close to his face and ripping him off the ground with one hand digging into his neck. As she squeezed, Victoria slammed Mike back down to the dirt, dust and pine needles billowing up around them.

"Oh, shit," Emmett muttered as he sprang to action, running toward them to aid Mike. I didn't see the point of helping him out. If she wanted to kill Mike, it was fine by me. This was a prime opportunity to take Victoria out while she was distracted.

Emmett leapt toward Mike's sprawled body, Victoria still looming over him and squeezing his neck with enough pressure that fractures began opening up and running across the surface of his flesh. Emmett's shoulder connected with her torso, his strong arms instantly clamping down like a vise as he pulled her away from Mike.

I charged into the melee, upping the odds that we could overtake and end Victoria. But before I could reach the wrestling pair, Emmett was thrown off, landing in a heap on top of Mike.

Victoria sprinted out of sight into the trees and I was hot on her heels. Weaving in and out of the trees, she started to pull away pretty quickly. The forest gave way to the paved highway that led toward La Push. She crossed the road at the crest of a hill, and I was so far behind by that point that I lost her in the trees when I arrived at the same spot. I mentally reached out, searching for her emotions, but all I got was the smell of the wolves so close to the treaty's boundary line. Suddenly, the roar of an engine filled the air, speeding down the road as the headlights of a dark colored car came into view.

_What the hell was he doing down here?_

"Is that Charlie?" Emmett called out, flashing across the road behind the cruiser so fast that no human would have seen him.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Where'd Red go?" he asked, scanning the area and walking back to the road.

"I lost her, Em."

"I bet she's stupid enough to be on the dogs' land right now."

From our vantage point on the shoulder of the road safely on Cullen property, Victoria suddenly sprinted into the middle of the asphalt just before Charlie's cruiser had made it completely across the bridge.

"Well, good luck to her then. I hope they tear—" I was interrupted by the loud screech of tires locking up on the pavement. She had stood in front of Charlie's car, forcing him to slam on the brakes and swerve to avoid a collision. Luckily, he'd cleared the bridge before she decided to become a road block. When Victoria punched her arm through the window, wrenching Charlie through the opening and bringing his upper body to her head, howls and yips sounded close to the road.

Victoria shoved Charlie roughly back through the window just as the first grey wolf broke through the tree line. Both Emmett and I froze in place, keeping our distance on instinct so we wouldn't be mistaken as a threat.

Moments later, Victoria was merely a streak of red high tailing it across Quileute lands, four large wolves snarling as they gave chase behind her. A large russet colored wolf circled the car before changing into a very naked and human Jacob Black. He opened the driver's side door of the car, leaning inside to tend to a thrashing and grunting Charlie. The strong scent of blood began to permeate the air, and we were a good two hundred feet away.

"Jacob," Emmett called. "Let us help."

"Haven't you helped enough? You chased that evil bitch onto our land."

Charlie screamed out in agony. "What did she do to him?" I asked, fearing the worst but knowing that she didn't have time to drain him completely before the wolves chased her off.

"Come on, man, there isn't much time. Carlisle is a doctor. Bella will never forgive you if Charlie dies because you didn't let us cross your stupid imaginary line to help him." Leave it to Emmett to be insulting, sensible, and lay a guilt trip at the same time.

"All right," Jacob said, and we were at his side next to the running car immediately.

The metallic tang in the enclosed space of the car was overpowering. Venom flooded my mouth as Jacob pulled his blood stained hand away from Charlie's neck, revealing a deep bite mark.

"Shit," Emmett said. "That bitch!"

Charlie clutched at his neck, tightening his muscles as he tried to somehow soothe the burn of the venom as it worked its way through his body, fiery inch by inch.

"He's turning into one of you, isn't he?" Jacob asked, his jaw flexing as he gnashed his teeth together.

Charlie had already begun to smell less human. I nodded my head slightly. "The transformation has started." There was no extracting the venom like there was back when Bella had been bitten by James. Charlie's wound was in too precarious a spot, and neither Emmett nor I had the enormous control that Edward had shown that fateful day. As I looked more closely at the bite mark, it was already sealing itself closed due to the healing properties of the toxin. Any ideas I had of pulling the poison out now were ridiculous anyway.

Jacob stared at Bella's father for several long moments. His emotions were swinging wildly from hatred to fear mixed with loyalty to resignation, and then back to fear before settling on a strange mixture of nervousness and insecurity. "Take him with you."

Before we could question Jacob's decision, he'd already transformed into a wolf and ran across the road. He paused a second to look back at us, bowing his head down toward the ground as he snorted a large breath out. Then he darted off into the woods, presumably to join the others and tell them the news.

A painful yell ripped through Charlie's lips, and we turned back to our current problem. "Get him in the back, Emmett. I'll drive." I slipped my hand into the front pocket of my jeans, hoping to find my cell phone and coming up empty. _Damn it._

Emmett scooped up Charlie as gently as he could and placed him in the back seat. After sliding in next to him, he began to explain to Bella's father what was happening, from the fire of the venom to how long he'd have to endure this torture.

There was a crunching sound when I sat down on top of broken glass, but I didn't care as I put the car in drive and whipped around to drive in the opposite direction. I hoped the wolves did their job tonight, because we couldn't get to Victoria now that we had Charlie burning in the backseat.

"Being a vampire is great, Chief. You'll always be strong, unbreakable, and super fast. And you're so old, you won't even have to keep repeating school like the rest of us." Leave it to Emmett to sell vampirism to a man who has no choice in the matter.

As Emmett continued to babble on about the merits of the supernatural life, Charlie mustered up the strength to grab Emmett's shirt. "Kill me," he gritted out.

Was Charlie being serious or was he joking at a time like this? Emmett was talking way too much, but the big lug was just trying to comfort him during his change. "What's that?" I asked, looking at the scene in the rearview mirror.

Emmett stopped talking and leaned his head down closer to Charlie's face. "I don't…want…to live…without Bella," he gasped. "Kill me." As if he'd expended all the energy he had in his reserves, Charlie collapsed against the seat.

"What the hell is he talking about?" I turned onto the highway that led to our house and gunned the engine.

"I have no clue, but I'm not going to be the one to Kevorkian the Chief. You know how pissed off Bella and Alice would be?"

**Alice POV**

Emmett and Jasper disappeared from my vision an hour into Bella's blood transfusion. I'd tried looking for Charlie's future, but his suddenly went black too. I paced the hallway outside of Bella's room, nearly going out of my mind with worry. Whether they had met their final end or were just near the wolves, I didn't know. But Carlisle insisted that I was needed here and that they could take care of themselves. They would call if they ran into any trouble. The only person I could get a clear picture of at the moment was Mike, and he was slowly making his way through the woods alone.

Rosalie and Esme had cleared away as much of the evidence of a fight in the yard as they could, but there was only so much they could do undetected. Neighbors had surely been awakened during the fight. A lone cop car had driven down the street with its spotlight shining over the yards, trying to find anything amiss about a half hour ago. Mercifully, the car had kept driving when he'd slowed down by Bella's house.

"She's stable enough to move now," Carlisle said as he stepped into the hallway.

While Bella's heartbeat had grown stronger over the last agonizing hour, she'd yet to regain consciousness. "Are we taking her to the hospital?"

"I was hoping that you could tell me if it was necessary."

Taking a deep breath, I decided that we'd take Bella to the emergency room with a story of an animal attack while we were camping. I closed my eyes, and the vision I had filled with conventional medical tests and treatments told me everything he wanted to know. _She'll never wake up if we take her to the hospital._ With a simple shake of my head, I opened my eyes to find Carlisle's worried gaze. "They can't help her there."

"I'll pack the other bag of Charlie's blood on ice and grab my medical bag. We're bringing her back to the house. Get Edward ready to move Bella."

As Carlisle disappeared down the stairs, I paused just outside the open doorway, watching Bella deathly still on her bed with Edward kneeling unblinking and quiet by her side as he held her hand. The first pint of blood, nearly empty in its plastic bag hanging from a makeshift hook on the headboard, had brought some color back to Bella's skin, but it was far from the usual glow I remembered.

"We have to move Bella to our house, Edward."

He closed his red eyes, and I feared he wouldn't open them again. We stayed in our respective spots, silently listening to Bella's soft breathing and her quiet heartbeat while Carlisle gathered the few things he'd need to bring from this house to the next.

"Let's go," he said once he came back into the bedroom, grabbing the bag of blood and holding it above Bella. "This should last until after we get home. Edward, can you carry her to the car?"

My brother solemnly gathered the bloody sheets around his beloved, wrapping her up before gently lifting her into his arms. As he and Carlisle walked in tandem downstairs and out to the car, I turned off the few lights that were on in the house and locked the doors.

As we drove to the house, I stared blankly out the window. How had life spiraled out of control so quickly? Seeing the future had no advantages here, so I closed my eyes and decided to see nothing.

There was only the blackness behind my eyelids, that is, until a cop car flew around us with lights flashing and its siren blaring as it passed. I whipped my head over to the left to find Jasper driving Charlie's cruiser with Emmett and Charlie in the backseat. As both cars slowed as much as was necessary to safely turn into our long driveway, I wondered if this night could get any worse?

Jasper pulled the car to a stop in a cloud of dust near the house while Carlisle stopped more gingerly due to our precious cargo in the backseat. Within a second we were in each other's arms. "I was so worried. You disappeared."

"The wolves…" my husband said while looking back at the car. "Victoria attacked Charlie down by La Push. He's changing."

Just then, Carlisle helped Edward lift Bella's limp body out of the car and they started toward the house. "She's lost too much blood," I said, noticing the questions forming on my husband's face.

"Victoria too?"

"No," I said. "Let's get Charlie comfortable."

Jasper's face was serious and somber while Emmett carried Charlie inside. "Charlie asked us to kill him. He said he didn't want to live without Bella."

"Edward will have to confirm this, but I think that Charlie saw what happened. He knows that Edward did this to Bella."

Jasper looked up toward the house as he ground his teeth together. "Edward is the reason that Bella's like that? What a stupid son of a bitch!" As he tried to regain his composure, he swiped a hand across his jaw. "That might explain why Charlie high tailed it to the reservation like his ass was on fire."

"What? Why would Charlie run to the wolves?" I knew we'd be needed inside, so I started walking toward the house.

"If you thought your daughter's boyfriend had just taken her life, what would be your first reaction?" Jasper placed his hand at the small of my back, guiding me up the steps.

"I'd take his," I said without hesitating.

"Exactly, and Charlie knows that he can't physically hurt Edward. But who does he know that _can_ hurt one of us?"

I walked through the door as he held it open for me. "Oh no, please tell me he didn't tell any of them about this."

"He didn't actually make it to La Push before Victoria attacked, but the wolves seemed to be waiting nearby. Whether they were waiting for Charlie or Victoria, I'm not sure."

We walked into total chaos. Rosalie was rushing up the stairs in front of Emmett, who had Charlie cradled in his arms as if he was a made of glass. Esme was making a lot of noise in the kitchen. Jasper and I walked up the stairs towards Edward's bedroom.

A strangled scream erupted out of Charlie's throat where he now lay in Emmett and Rosalie's room as we passed by. Bella's father was collateral damage in Victoria's vindictive war against us, and now he had to pay the price.

I wasn't prepared for the sight of Bella when we entered Edward's room as she lay on the bed. Carlisle had set up another bag of blood for the transfusion, which was Charlie's by the smell of it. Edward sat in a chair that had been pulled up to her bedside, holding her hand.

"Edward? What happened?" I asked as I stood at the bottom of the bed. Only the sound of Bella's shallow breathing and slow heartbeats, interrupted by Charlie's screams and Emmett's useless words of comfort could be heard in the background.

"He won't answer, Alice," Carlisle said when he walked into the room. "He hasn't said a word since before we left Bella's house."

"Then what's the plan?" Jasper asked.

"We need to get this pint of blood in her, and I'll reassess her vitals. Hopefully she'll regain consciousness by then."

"Coma? Brain damage?"

Even as Jasper spoke the worst case scenario, Edward didn't react. I knew my husband was just trying to figure out the situation that sat before us, but the blackness that was Bella's future at the moment made me increasingly frantic.

"Possibly. I might have to borrow some equipment from the hospital," Carlisle said before checking the tubing running from the bag of blood into Bella's arm once more. Satisfied that all was correct, he turned and left.

The bite marks on Bella's body had begun to heal, leaving shiny, silvered skin with pink edges. The rest of her exposed skin was sickly pale and cold, but still held the normal look of human skin. Edward had obviously tried to pump venom into her system in an effort to save her, yet she didn't burn and writhe like Charlie was currently doing down the hallway.

"There isn't much you can do here right now," Jasper whispered as he wrapped his arm around my waist.

"Tanya and Kate will be here in a few minutes anyway," I said, letting him pull me toward the door by the hand. I spared one last glance at my best friend and brother before crossing the threshold. Neither had moved an inch or even noticed that we had been in the room.

Amidst more grunts and screams cutting through the air from upstairs, Jasper and I waited in the family room for the arrival of our cousins. Tanya didn't bother to knock before she burst through the front door. "What the hell is going on in here? Where's Michael?"

Esme appeared from the kitchen holding a white grocery sack, and it sagged heavily as she held it out from her body like it contained something toxic. "I don't know where the rest of him is right now, but here's his hand."

The look of disgust on Tanya's face was priceless because she wasn't easily rattled. Maybe she expected his severed appendage should be resting in a velvet lined box.

"Shit. We left him in the woods to chase after Victoria," my husband said, looking guiltily from Tanya to me.

"It's okay, Jasper. You were dealing with Charlie's change." As if on cue, another blood curdling scream pierced the air.

"Charlie? Who's Charlie?" Kate asked from the doorway.

"Who cares? Where the hell is Mike and why is he not whole?" Tanya seethed, her voice impatient and raised.

I sighed and sat on the couch. "Jasper, take Tanya to find Mike so he can be reunited with his hand. Be careful because he started wandering around in the woods a while ago trying to get back here. Who knows where Victoria is now."

Once Jasper had kissed my lips, he disappeared out the door with Tanya close behind as she clutched the plastic bag to her chest that held Mike's hand.

Kate sat down on the opposite end of the couch, crossing one leg over the other. "Looks like all hell has broken loose down here. Obviously Victoria's shown up?"

"Kate, that's just one of the hundred major pains in my ass right now," I said. Leaning my head back against the couch and closing my eyes, I waited for answers. Instead of visions of the future that mattered, that would help show the way, I was met with blackness. And that's exactly what I wasn't looking for.


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: Thanks for sticking with me through these long update intervals where life gets in the way. Erikasbuddy and Masenjar worked their usual magic on a longer chapter than usual.**

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**Chapter 32**

**Carlisle POV**

The harsh light of day brought even grimmer realities. In the time since we'd taken Bella from her home to ours, I'd infused two pints of blood into her veins, stabilizing her heartbeat and breathing, but she had yet to regain consciousness. Edward sat by her side and held her hand, not uttering a single word for over twenty-four hours. The only good news in this whole ordeal was that Edward had not slept since he drank from Bella this last time. Refusing to leave her side, he hadn't been able to feed on any other blood, although his eyes were black as night again. He seemed calm, detached, and it worried me greatly.

I needed to get the entire unadulterated truth from Edward so I could best assess the damage to her body, and most importantly, why Bella didn't begin the change after he had bitten her over so many areas of her body. Surely he'd injected enough venom into her tissues, but I suspected that she had so little blood left in her system that it was too late. Now she remained in a coma, hovering in that fragile state of living death where I couldn't make an accurate prognosis without speaking to Edward first.

Charlie was over the halfway point into his transformation. Soon, he would awaken as a newborn, and I didn't relish what his reaction would be when he saw that his daughter was still in the same state that he'd seen her last—pale and seemingly lifeless. If he even remembered Bella at all.

"I called the station and told them that Charlie has the flu, so that will buy us a few days at least," Emmett said as he walked into the library. "Carlisle?"

I pulled my hands away from my head, not realizing how long I'd been sitting at my desk, deep in thought about how our lives had become so complicated so quickly. "Thank you. That will give us some extra time to figure out what to do about Charlie."

"Jasper, Kate, Rosalie, and I didn't find a trace of Victoria anywhere near here when we were out patrolling, so she's either holed up somewhere or she fled pretty far away." Emmett sat down in the chair opposite my desk. His usually happy face was serious and etched with worry.

"I don't understand why she would lash out at Charlie when she seemed to just want Michael." I ran my hand through my hair.

"You weren't out there in the woods with us that night. Mike's rejection of Victoria was pretty brutal. When you couple that with the whole Mike and Tanya probably being mates thing, which was obvious when we were in Alaska if you paid close enough attention to the weird way Tanya was acting. I'm sure that Victoria just wanted to destroy whatever was in the way and convenient. You know, the usual angry-person-lashing-out type of thing."

I let out a tired laugh. "That was deeply insightful, Emmett."

He scowled. "I'm not a total idiot," he said before he smiled while he shook his head back and forth.

A comfortable silence slipped over us, and we just sat there for several minutes, alone in our own thoughts. Noises from the house hummed in the background as we continued to sit without speaking. I listened as Tanya discussed the consequences with Alice if she and Mike departed later that day for Alaska. Would Victoria follow them north or stay here? In each possible scenario that Tanya posed, an increasingly frustrated Alice couldn't give her a much firmer answer other than "Nothing is clear."

"Are you worried that Alice's visions seem to be on the fritz?" Emmett asked, breaking the temporary silence between us in the library.

"Of course I'm concerned, but I'm more worried for Alice's emotional stability at this point. She's always been able to count on her visions, and Forks has been the only place that her visions have failed her."

Emmett rose from the chair and crossed the room to gaze out the window. "There've never been mangy mutts anywhere else to black out her visions."

I joined him at the window, and I scanned the quiet woods hoping for some kind of epiphany.

"Or evil bitches that were hell bent on being crazy and indecisive enough to seek revenge for us killing her blood-thirsty mate," Emmett continued.

"Most nomadic vampires don't like the odds of one against seven," I met his gaze and added.

"But seriously, what's happening with Bella? Why hasn't she woken up yet?"

Turning back to the glass, I regarded my own rumpled reflection while I thought about how to answer Emmett's question. "Her brain activity is normal, and her vitals are stable. I honestly don't know why she hasn't woken up yet."

"Why hasn't she started to change? I saw the bite marks. How could anyone take that much venom and not turn?"

"That's part of the mystery right now, Emmett." I returned to my desk to pour through a few more old texts, even though I doubted any answers resided inside the dusty covers. "Maybe there just wasn't enough blood in her veins to carry the venom through her system to complete the change."

"But the bite marks are completely healed. They've scarred over so quickly already." Emmett returned to the chair next to the desk, placing his elbows on his knees as he leaned his chin on his hands. "When I saw one of the bite marks on her leg the night of the graduation party, it was red and angry looking, not smooth and silvery like they are now."

That was an interesting point. "Do you know how long it was after Edward had bitten Bella that you saw the wound?" My excitement grew at the possibility of finally getting some real answers to the mystery that was Bella's healing speed and how she reacted to Edward's venom.

Emmett paused for several seconds as he thought over his answer. "It had to have been at least two hours, and it was red, but healing. But she'd scratched it open."

"Edward's venom must be helping Bella heal quickly, or maybe she's developed some degree of immunity to it."

"Immunity? You mean like his venom might not work on Bella?"

"I've never heard of something like that before," I said as Emmett stared at me as if I was making things up now. "But humans bodies are wonderfully adaptive, maybe Bella's immune system has gotten used to Edward's venom with long term exposure to smaller quantities. The same thing is done to treat humans with allergies by injecting small amounts of what they're allergic to into their skin. It allows them to build up a tolerance over time."

"Shit," Emmett muttered. "Do you think she's allergic to all vampire venom now?"

"There's an easy way to find out." The horrified look on Emmett's face made me smile, knowing that he was probably picturing all of us taking turns biting poor Bella in the name of science. "Don't worry, Emmett. I'll only need to draw a blood sample from Bella, and then I'll try mixing that blood with venom from different vampires. Hopefully the results under the microscope will give me some answers."

"Oh, thank God, that's a relief. I don't think I could bite a human—even if it was to save Bella or in the name of science. I'm just going to check on Charlie, make sure that Rosie shaved off that horrible mustache before it's too late. We wouldn't be doing him any favors if he's stuck with horrible facial hair forever."

Normally, I would think Emmett was joking, but he was completely serious. "You do that. I'll get the blood from Bella and the first venom sample from Edward."

"I'll walk with you," Emmett said, relief still clear on his face about not having to bite Bella.

As I explained my plans to Emmett on the way up the stairs to Edward and Bella's bedroom, he brought up another very good point. "But she's full of Charlie's blood right now." Emmett just might make a good lab assistant after all.

"We'll just have to proceed with the tests, and hope that her body has had enough time to adjust."

Emmett turned to check on Charlie, and I continued down the hallway and into the bedroom only to find Bella—still unresponsive—with Edward at her bedside. At least he actually made eye contact with me this time as I walked in and began checking the tubing for her IV.

"I trust that you heard everything that Emmett and I were discussing about Bella's condition?"

Edward slowly nodded his head in the affirmative. The relief that I felt at his response was great since he wouldn't respond to any attempted interactions just hours ago.

"Do you have anything to add to my theory? Any details that Emmett or I have wrong?" _Especially now that Emmett was acting as my lab assistant when Edward had always filled that role?_

Another slow shake of his head was Edward's answer.

I prepared the needle and vials for Bella's blood samples, and then I walked back to her side. As I wrapped the elastic band around her arm, I continued to speak to Edward, trying to fully break him out of his stupor—to make him useful to everyone again.

"I'm going to look at Bella's blood under the microscope to see how it reacts with everyone's venom—including Kate and Tanya's." No response this time from Edward, who was now resting his forehead against the bed. "I'll need a sample of your venom in a few minutes too—which will probably wind up being the control."

As I finished drawing two vials of Bella's blood and bandaging her arm, Esme entered the room. "I can take over and sit with Bella, Edward. Why don't you help Carlisle with the tests?"

"No," he said quietly but firmly, his face pointing towards the floor.

Esme cast me a worried glance. Walking up to the bed, she smoothed Bella's hair down before further challenging Edward. "You'll do more good with Carlisle. I can stay with her for a while."

Edward's head snapped up and he bared his teeth, his dark eyes fierce as he watched Esme take hold of Bella's hand.

My wife and son continued to hold each other's stare over Bella's sleeping body, both of them holding one of her hands.

"Enough," I demanded. "You have to come to library so I can collect your venom anyway, Edward. You might as well get it over and done with now."

"Bring the collection vial up here; I don't want to leave her."

"Son, Bella isn't going to wake up while you're gone." I said, not having the heart to tell Edward that I didn't think that Bella was going to wake up at all if we didn't act quickly and figure out a way to change her. And I wasn't sure what the end result would be of her mental state even if she did turn successfully.

The same pain was mirrored on Esme and Edward's faces as I spoke the words that neither wanted to hear. But I couldn't give them unrealistic expectations, not at this point when so much had already gone wrong.

"Fine," Edward said as he gently let go of Bella's hand. "But make it quick."

"That just leaves Mike and Tanya," Emmett said as he set two more labeled vials of glistening liquid down onto my desk.

"I'm going to test what we have first. Hopefully, we won't need to collect venom from them. Since we aren't sure if Victoria has fled the area for good or not, I'd like Tanya and Michael to leave here as soon as possible. If we're lucky, they'll lead Victoria away, and we can have more time to plan an attack when we're at full strength again." I prepared another slide with a few drops of Bella's blood as I spoke.

"Any luck yet?" he asked, craning his neck to look into the eye piece of the microscope.

"It's simply amazing," I said, motioning for Emmett to walk around the desk and look through the microscope. "Bella's blood reacts the exact same way to my venom and the venom collected from anyone that I turned. In small amounts, they don't attack each other." I moved out of the way as he leaned down in my place.

Emmett dutifully looked through the optics for a few moments, pursing his lips and sighing a few times before looking back up. "Yeah, totally…and I'm supposed to see what exactly?"

"Here, just look." I put a clean slide under the microscope. "Watch through there while I add a drop of Bella's blood and a drop of Kate's venom."

Emmett observed as the blood and venom mixed, battling before his eyes on a microscopic level. Kate's venom clearly attacked the blood, obliterated the cells while I had observed completely different results with our venom, which seemed to mix and coexist peacefully. "Holy shit. Does this mean that none of us can turn Bella?"

"I think so, and we're going to have to ask Kate to do it. It might take a while to collect enough venom, and I have to figure out the most effective way to deliver it into Bella's system."

Emmett stood up and took a few steps towards the door. "Bella's not going to be happy that it wasn't one of us that did the deed, you know."

"Our hands are tied. She'll understand that there were no other options. It's not like we could wait for her father to complete the change first since he was sired by Victoria. He'd most certainly kill her if given the chance, anyway. Time is of the essence here."

"I could always crack Charlie open before he wakes up—see what pours out," Emmett said with a devilish smile on his face. "It would probably be venom mixed with leftover blood now, right? That way it would still be family that turned her."

My son was brilliant—simply amazing and ingenious. "I think you just solved our problem. And no, you can't snap open Charlie." I patted my pockets for car keys, coming up empty. "I'm going to get some more donor blood from the hospital, and if we inject Bella with enough of Kate's venom, we should be able to start the change before her body can fight it off."

"I've always been the ideas man, Carlisle," he said with a chuckle as I brushed past him on my way to the garage. "You're welcome!"

I made record time on my trip to the hospital to commandeer another pint of blood for Bella. But all wasn't well when I pulled into the driveway at home, and as soon as I turned off the engine, a scowling Jacob Black and two other members of his pack stomped out of the woods into plain sight in my rear view mirror.

As I stepped out of the car, I put on my usual calm mask of passiveness, even though their interference was the last thing that we needed right now—and on our land, no less. "Jacob Black, what can I do for you?"

"I'm here to check on Charlie and Bella," he said, not moving from the edge of the trees.

At least he correctly assumed that they shouldn't make a move to encroach onto our property any further. "Charlie has not yet awoken, and Bella is indisposed at the moment. Did your pack track the rogue vampire?"

Jacob's face tightened as his heart rate picked up slightly. "We lost her in the ocean, and there haven't been any new traces of her on our land since."

"You could have told me all of this over the phone, Jacob. Why are you really here?"

The two boys flanking Jacob stepped up even with him, trying to look menacing as they stared at me. "The vampire severely injured one of us during her escape, and it's become too much of a liability. We owe it to Charlie as a friend of the pack to keep his daughter safe, so I've been instructed to make sure that Bella is okay."

"She's sleeping right now," Emmett said from the front door, his body filling the space menacingly as he walked through and came to join me next to the car. Jasper was right behind him. Now the odds were even.

"We need to actually see her, not just take your word for it," one of the boys said, his voice full of anger and disrespect. "Just wake her up and have her come out here."

"She's been sitting up all night at her father's bedside. We're not going to disturb her when she's finally resting." The disdain in Jasper's voice was barely concealed while the lie flowed flawlessly off his tongue.

The three boys weren't budging from their position on the edge of our driveway, and tensions were beginning to run high. The need to get rid of them was escalating quickly. "Bella is fine, and she is well protected here. Just listen to her heart beat. It's steady, strong, and her breathing is slow and deep. She's perfectly safe."

"I would still like to see Bella, just for my peace of mind," Jacob said. The concern in his eyes appeared to be genuine.

"You wouldn't let one of us tromp through your house, would ya?" Emmett asked, his eyebrow cocked as he stood a little taller, his arms crossed across his chest.

The looks of repulsion on the boys at Jacob's side wordlessly said it all.

Jasper smirked while he shook his head. "So why would we let you into ours?"

"Need I remind you that this is a serious violation of the treaty by coming onto our land?" Deflection was needed to get them away from the larger, more serious issue here—Bella comatose upstairs because of Edward breaking the treaty by biting and feeding from her over the course of several months—even if it was consensual. "Leave our land."

The other boy, who'd remained silent until now, started to speak as Jacob turned to go. "But we aren't supposed to—"

"Shut up. We have to get back," the other boy spat.

After listening to the sounds of their retreating forms for several minutes until no more sign of the wolves could be heard, I popped the trunk of the car using the remote on my key ring. "One of you grab the cooler and bring it to the library. I assume that Kate is finished with her donation?"

As Emmett swung the small white chest from the back of the car, Jasper eased the trunk shut. "She was still in there filling up the vial as you asked when those three showed up," Emmett answered.

Heading for the front door of the house, I strode quickly with one purpose in mind. "Come now, I have work to do. Let's see if this blood is compatible with Kate's venom."

**Edward POV**

This was my new reality. Stillness, hunger, longing, silence, but most of all…crushing guilt. Bella had sacrificed herself in an attempt to rouse me from sleep, for me to protect Charlie and her from Victoria. I'd failed miserably. It was all for nothing, leaving Bella hanging onto life, yet lifeless—a mere shell and unresponsive, her skin too cool and scented differently.

I heard every single thought running through my family's minds—every pitying, panicked, tortuous fragment. The dry, cool hand beneath mine had yet to stir or respond to my touch, and I'd finally given up, laid down beside her on the bed—careful of her IV and catheter tubing—and closed my now untired, unsleeping eyes.

Charlie's heartbeat wasn't as strong as it had been before. It was only a matter of a hours before he'd awaken to this new eternal undead life, probably come into this very room, see the state that his only child was currently in, and go ballistic. He will be capable of causing me physical damage now. Or maybe he wouldn't remember who any of us were in the maddening confusion of bloodlust and the rush of sensory overload? I had a better chance of coming out of this alive if he didn't remember, but then again…

Alice crept into my bedroom while I laid there with my eyes closed as if I was asleep, imagining the horrible things Charlie would do to me, and I didn't bother to open them when she walked around the bed to get a better look.

"I know that you don't sleep anymore, Edward. Get up!"

I slowly opened my eyes, but stubbornly stared directly over Bella's head at a dent in the drywall by the closet. This didn't cut it for Alice, so she moved into my line of sight.

"Carlisle's completely disappeared from my visions."

Charlie's heart beat stuttered down the hallway, and Alice's attention turned towards the open bedroom door briefly, her brow furrowed. "He just left for the hospital thirty minutes ago," was all I managed to mutter, my voice quiet and devoid of emotion so close to Bella's ear.

"I'm just worried since Victoria's still on the loose, and I don't think the dogs are capable of actually taking care of her. What if—" Her train of thought was interrupted by the familiar purr of an engine coming up our driveway as fast as the car could safely travel.

"You're needlessly worried as usual," I said as her eyes stared at nothing.

"I still only see darkness when I look for Carlisle."

I closed my eyes again, wanting nothing more than to be left alone to stay next to Bella in silence. "Then go see for yourself that he's fine. Leave us be."

The door closed with a click as Alice left the room. Smoothing Bella's hair away from her forehead, I listened to her quiet breathing with my hand on her cheek. "Please wake up, Bella. Are you in there? I love you, and I really need you here with me." I kissed her temple, my lips lingering on her skin. She didn't lean into my touch or make a small noise. There wasn't even a flutter of an eyelid or the acceleration of her heart rate like usual. My plea and kiss were met with no change in Bella at all.

I swallowed back the emotions that were building inside of me, threatening to boil over at any second. The even pounding of Bella's heartbeat, along with Charlie's faltering rhythm, provided a focus point as I breathed in and out slowly, trying to calm myself and this insane urge to destroy everything around me. What good would it do, anyway? Better to shut down than go off in a fit of destructive rage. At least I wouldn't hurt anyone else by drawing inward. As I focused, the only sounds I heard were the dual thrumming of their hearts, beating out of time as Bella's pounded steady and strong with Charlie's staccato rhythm racing towards its final pump. For a minute, comfort was the sound of her heart and the blood rushing through Bella's veins.

Soon thereafter, three new sets of faint, even beats steadily grew louder, breaking my attention away from the hollow of Bella's neck where I'd rested my head. The sudden noise inside my mind as I became conscious of everyone's thoughts again was sharp and painful.

I heard Carlisle's car pull to a stop, and his door opened with a small creak before slamming shut a bit more forcefully than normal. _Jacob Black and two other Quileute boys just showed up to speak with Carlisle,_ Alice thought from her observation point in her bedroom. _That's why I couldn't see Carlisle. I'll watch from downstairs in case he needs help._

Jacob Black was somewhat of an enigma. We should be mortal enemies, but he'd helped us search for Bella when Mike had kidnapped her last year, and now he dared to approach us on our land—at our home, no less—with not a single shred of fear in his thoughts. His only concern was for Charlie and Bella, not for himself or his two idiot pack mates upon trespassing on fully protected enemy territory. While he was ordered by Billy Black to make sure that Bella was all right, he really was worried for both of them as if they were his flesh and blood.

I couldn't say the same thing for the two imbeciles that accompanied Jacob on this suicide mission. They had been given different orders by Billy Black. Jacob was clearly not trusted by his own father after allowing Charlie to be taken by Emmett and Jasper when Victoria had attacked him. And now Jacob was their ticket to getting close to Bella Swan—only if she was still human—and taking her back to the reservation so she would be under the protection of the Quileutes until all vampires could be eradicated.

I wanted to laugh at Billy Black's arrogant assumption that we'd just hand Bella over to the wolves, or that she'd willingly leave the protection of her only family for the company of hostile strangers at a time like this. But what kept me by Bella's side and thankful that Emmett and Jasper had gone to stand by Carlisle's, assisting him with keeping the wolves at bay, was that the two underlings had orders to forcefully kidnap Bella if she refused to leave us. They were to use any way to get to her that they deemed necessary, and the unwitting Jacob would be used as a diversion. What kind of father treated his son in this fashion?

A line had been crossed, and this clearly wasn't over in the minds of the wolves as they stomped away after Carlisle ordered them to leave our land. But there was no time to contemplate this situation any further because before I knew it, Carlisle entered the bedroom with a bag of donor blood and a syringe full of venom.

"You've heard all of my discussions, my theories?" he asked while hooking the bag up to new tubing and beginning to prepare Bella for another blood transfusion.

I swallowed thickly. "Yes. Bella's become immune to my venom."

Carlisle felt Bella's arm with two fingers, searching for a good spot to stick the needle into her soft flesh. "Kate's venom is especially virulent, and more importantly, she and I weren't made from the same sire. Bella shouldn't be fully immune to it."

"Are you sure?" I moved protectively closer to Bella on the bed. "We can't chance it, Carlisle. I can't lose her."

"What kind of life is this for her right now?" He pricked her finger with a sharp stick meant for diabetic testing.

The aroma of her blood flooded the air, reminding me that I hadn't fed and everything that had brought us here in the first place—my unnaturalness, the preternatural pull that I had to Bella, her inability to stay away.

It no longer held any appeal to me.

Carlisle regarded me for a few moments as if he wasn't sure that I would hold it together. Frankly, the scrutiny made me uncomfortable, but I was in no position to do anything about it. I deserved everything.

"I'll be right back after I check the reaction of Bella's blood mixed with the donor blood against the venom," Carlisle finally said.

I heard the triumph in Carlisle's thoughts as the image of venom ripping and shredding red blood cells on a microscopic level through his eyes popped into my mind while I rested next to my sweet Bella. All too soon, my father had returned to our bedside, asking me to get up off of the bed and sit at Bella's side instead, and he instructed that he would need my help.

"What do you need me to do?" I asked, taking hold of Bella's hand and bringing it to my lips.

"I'll begin the transfusion since she's still a bit low on blood volume, and I'll need you to watch for any signs of change in her." The transfusion was started, and even the donor blood flowing into her didn't call to me. All I wanted was Bella back.

Carlisle checked over everything one last time before picking up the syringe that contained Kate's venom, pocketing it. "I'm going to give the blood an hour to do its job, and then we'll inject Bella with a dose of venom. Do you mind if anyone comes in to visit in the meantime?"

Shaking my head back and forth, Emmett barreled into the room before I'd even finished nodding my head twice. "Nice to see that you aren't mute, bro." He crossed the room in several large strides and leaned in close to Bella.

"I'm sure she can hear you just fine from three feet away."

He turned his head toward me so he wouldn't be speaking in Bella's ear. "Maybe I have secrets to tell her and I don't want you to hear them?"

I scoffed. "You aren't capable of keeping secrets…or speaking soft enough for me to not hear you say whatever it is you don't want me to hear."

He stood up to his full height and shrugged his shoulders. "True on both counts. Pretend you don't hear any of this then. And act like you're not reading my thoughts."

Leaning back to Bella's ear, Emmett looked back toward me, arching one eye brow skeptically before turning his attention to the task at hand. "Welcome to the family, officially, Bella. I can't wait for our first matchup. It will be epic."

He patted her shoulder. "You'll always be my little sister, and no matter what, I'll always be your big brother. Edward can be a douche, and I'll always take your side. Once you're not strong enough to kick his ass yourself anymore, I'll do it. Just say the word."

"Seriously, Emmett?" This is what he had to say into my girlfriend's ear when she couldn't get away or even answer?

Emmett pushed a hand out towards me. "Bella and I understand each other, Eddie. This is an A and B conversation. See your way out."

I rolled my eyes and scowled since the only way to move this along was to ignore his immaturity and kindergarten ways.

"Anyway, since we were so rudely interrupted—I love you like family, Bella, because you are family. I can't wait for you to wake up. See you soon." Emmett kissed her gently on the forehead and left the room.

The rest of the family came in and out, spending a short amount of time with Bella, reassuring her and telling her how they couldn't wait for her to wake up to her new life. Even Rosalie left Charlie's side for a few minutes, but she didn't speak for herself. She spoke of how Charlie was eager to see Bella, and how Bella shouldn't worry about having to leave him behind forever since he was now a vampire too.

I wasn't sure how I felt about Rosalie disclosing that fact to Bella, but I could see in her mind that she only had the best of intentions. It was meant to give Bella some peace and comfort as she burned through her change.

Alice walked in with Carlisle right behind her a few minutes after Rosalie left. She pulled up a chair right next to the bed, nudging my hand out of Bella's and replacing it with her own. Instead of speaking a mile a minute like she usually did, my sister simply held my love's hand gently and spoke calmly, her voice full of compassion. "I'm here, Bella. I'll only leave when Charlie wakes up, which will be very soon. But I'll be back."

Carlisle checked the levels of fluids in Bella's IV and how much blood had been transfused so far. His mind was focused solely on the task at hand, and I couldn't glean any doubts or second thoughts from my father.

"Carlisle? Are you absolutely certain this will work?" I asked, making eye contact from Bella's bedside. I still wasn't sure that I could leave her side. Fear gripped me tightly.

_We're about to find out…_

Hearing Carlisle's thoughts as he carried the syringe full of Kate's venom to the bed wasn't encouraging. I frowned, and he realized that he hadn't blocked his thoughts.

"Sorry. This is the best shot we have, Edward. Your venom—our venom—doesn't seem to have much effect on Bella. I'm afraid that she's built up some kind of tolerance to it with prolonged exposure."

Alice patted my knee awkwardly as I sat there like a scolded school boy who realized he wholly deserved his punishment.

Alice nudged me in the ribs with her elbow. "But, Edward? Kate's venom—it _will_ do the trick. I see Bella waking up in this very bed."

Raising my head again, I looked to Carlisle. "Her venom is different enough from mine?"

"The results were promising under the microscope. I'll inject a smaller amount into her heart first," he said, motioning with the syringe over Bella's chest. "And then we'll wait to see her reaction. It doesn't take much to turn someone, but I want to make sure that she doesn't have any adverse reactions, so we'll need to monitor her closely."

"Why her heart?"Alice asked, her nose crinkled.

"The venom will spread through her body faster if we do it there." Carlisle slid the IV needle from under Bella's skin, and then removed Bella's catheter. Everything was so clinical and business-like, it almost felt like what he was about to do was commonplace. "Are you ready?"

Standing up and leaning over the bed, I pulled down the dressing gown that covered Bella until Carlisle motioned for me to stop with a wave of his hand. I closed my eyes and turned my head, but nothing prepared me for the sickening sound of thick gauge steel needle piercing flesh and muscle as Carlisle plunged it into Bella's chest cavity. Alice gasped while Bella lay still on the bed, not reacting in the slightest to the assault on her body.

The venom was injected and the syringe was removed, the entire process taking mere seconds, but it seemed to happen in slow motion as I watched helplessly from the sidelines. There were no movements from Bella, no screams or whimpers—no reactions that were typical to someone who recently had venom coursing through their veins and burning through their tissues.

"Did you put enough in there?" Alice asked. She still had a firm grasp of Bella's hand.

Carlisle studied Bella for any response. "Yes. We have to give it time to spread throughout her system, especially to her brain." As he headed for the door, he kept talking. "I'm going to check on Charlie. Call for me if anything changes."

He left the part that I feared the most unspoken. We had to wait for the venom to repair the brain damage she'd suffered from blood loss and lack of oxygen—all injuries made by me. I'd done this to her—my fault—her blood was on my hands only. My eyelids fluttered shut, and I clenched my teeth as I stood by, waiting for a sign that Bella would come back to me—to all of us.

"Don't beat yourself up, Edward." Alice's voice was calm and reassuring. "You can stop laying all of the blame solely on your shoulders. Bella knew what she was doing. She knew the risks."

I laughed half-heartedly. "Who's the mind reader now?"

"I know you better than anyone…except for maybe Bella now." Alice smiled lovingly at Bella, but her eyes were sad. "And Bella's my best friend—the only real human one I've ever had. She's not selfish, Edward. She did this because she thought she had a chance to save Charlie."

And that right there clinched it, making everything that much worse. Bella sacrificed herself for her father. She had complete faith in me, in my control over my thirst, and I had failed her. What would await us when she woke up?

"Do humans usually pink up before they start to turn pale again during the change?"

"What?" I looked more closely at Bella's face—her skin flushed as if she'd been walking up a few flights of stairs. Until then, she'd been very pale. I flung the blankets off of her, exposing her legs, which were covered in a rash too.

"Carlisle!" Alice called, panic lacing her voice.

He appeared in the room a few seconds later, and hurriedly began to check Bella over from head to toe. "I was afraid of this. She's having an allergic reaction to the venom, but it doesn't appear to be severe."

"Will this hurt her?" I asked, taken aback as Carlisle pulled out another syringe.

He slipped the protective cover off of the needle and pulled some colorless liquid into the syringe. "This is just diphenhydramine—liquid benadryl. It should clear up her rash in no time. I'll just look for any swelling of her air passages and hives, but it doesn't seem like this was a severe reaction."

"But she'll still wake up?"

Alice immediately answered my question. "This doesn't change a thing. I still see her waking up as a vampire."

It was a long few hours as Bella's rash faded away, her heartbeat the only sound in the room as I waited for any sign of change from her unconscious form. Alice left to be with Charlie as his human life slipped away, his heart beating its last pulse with a frantic, echoing pump.

Only Alice, Esme, Rosalie, and Carlisle remained in the room with Charlie. Emmett and Jasper waited outside in the hallway, prepared for the anything. All other unfamiliar people, like Kate, Tanya, and Mike, had been sent away for the time being. Hopefully waking up to his new life with heightened senses, newfound strength, and a scorching fire in his throat wouldn't be so horrible with three familiar, pretty women surrounding him. And how could anyone want to hurt Carlisle? But then again, Charlie might register any vampire as a threat at first.

I remained by Bella's side, moving to stand in front of the bed so I could protect her if he somehow made it inside of the bedroom. Charlie's thoughts were jumbled as confusion took over. Alice attempted to sooth him, speaking to him quietly, but it only riled him up further.

Wood splintered and glass shattered before Charlie's raised voice echoed throughout the house. From the sound of heavy footsteps on the hardwood floor pounding fast, Emmett and Jasper must have moved in. Everyone's frantic thoughts filled my head, making it nearly impossible for me to follow the action.

I didn't dare leave Bella's side. My family could take care of themselves.

"Where is he?" Charlie yelled.

"You have to calm down, Charlie," Emmett demanded. A heavy thud sounded like something heavy was thrown against a wall, shaking the house a fraction of a second later.

"I said 'Where is he?'" Charlie's voice was full of menace.

His memory was intact, just as I'd feared.

"Did you have to throw me through a wall, Charlie? Way to piss Esme off in the first five minutes that you're awake." Jasper's voice remained calm even though his thoughts were full of irritation. Surely he'd be using his gift to calm Charlie down now.

"Where's the menace that killed my daughter?"

Carlisle was the voice of reason as usual. "Edward is sitting with Bella. We can't take the chance of having you in the same room as a human right now, Charlie."

Everything fell quiet in the house when Carlisle finished speaking. Which in retrospect, probably wasn't a good thing with a newborn vampire down the hall from a changing human with a still beating heart. I glanced behind me to check on Bella, and then I grabbed her ankle that had fallen out from under the blanket and over the side of the bed somehow. I must have uncovered it in my haste to get around the bed to protect her.

"Bella's alive?" Charlie asked, his voice less angry and frazzled.

"Yes, but she's currently making the transition to vampire just like you did," Alice said.

"It's very early on, so her heartbeat and blood will tempt you. Emmett, Jasper—take Charlie hunting, please." Carlisle was trying to keep Charlie away from us without outright ordering Charlie to leave.

No one spoke as footfalls seemed to descend the stairs and exit the house, but shouts rang out suddenly. Before I knew what was happening, Charlie stood before me, having thrown open the door in a burst of speed I'd never seen before.

I crawled back to cover Bella's body with my own, hoping that it would be enough until reinforcements could arrive to pull Charlie back if he attacked.

"She's too quiet." He cocked his head to the side, trying to get a better look at his daughter, but thankfully maintaining his distance. "Something's wrong with her. There's no way someone can be burning up inside like that and be stone still."

"Charlie, I—"

Jasper ran in first with Emmett right on his heels. As they encircled him in their iron grip, Charlie continued to struggle and grunt. "My daughter better come back from this, you bastard!"

"Damn," Jasper said. "I never thought I'd see a vampire faster than Edward."

"You did this," Charlie hissed. "You're the reason that I'm dead, Bella's…whatever she is, and I won't forget it!"

As Emmett began to drag Charlie backwards by the upper body while Jasper had a hold of his legs, Emmett whistled. "You would have to fake us out, Charlie—making us think you were going with us willingly—so not fair. You're hunting whether you like it or not."

I began to climb off of Bella as Charlie struggled in Emmett and Jasper's grip while they carried him down the hallway. "I'm so sorry, Bella. Don't worry, Charlie will feel better once he's fed." I hoped that my murmured promises to her would prove to be true.

Pulling the blankets up over her body, I leaned in to kiss her lightly on the lips. I caressed her cheek and let my hand linger there. Suddenly, Bella's hand slowly rubbed along my arm, settling on the back of my hand and resting by her face too. I thought I saw the smallest upturn of the corner of her lips, and my chest filled with warmth.

"Bella…love?" Even though her eyes remained closed and she wasn't speaking, I had hope that she was coming back to me. She had moved her arm and hand to cover mine.

Carlisle ran into the room just as Bella's eyes suddenly slammed open. The most gut-wrenching scream imaginable erupted from her throat as she must have finally felt the effects of the venom pushing through her body, beginning the process of making her like us.


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: It's been a long time. Thank you to those of you who messaged me to see if I was going to finish this story. I'm touched that you have stuck around this long or care to see this completed. There's only one chapter left, and I will try my hardest to not go so long in between updates this time. There's a summary below before the chapter. Huge thanks to Erikasbuddy for coming out of beta retirement to take care of this chapter for me. **

* * *

**Chapter 33**

When Bella sacrificed herself to Edward by making him drink her blood straight from her neck to wake him up to protect Charlie from an attack by Victoria, she fell into a coma even though Edward had desperately tried to change her into a vampire. Unfortunately, Charlie was awakened by the loud fighting between Mike and Victoria outside the Swan home and he entered Bella's bedroom, only to find Edward cradling his nearly dead daughter. This scene sent Charlie racing straight for La Push, where he was ambushed by Victoria and left bitten, her venom coursing through his body.

Jacob allowed Emmett and Jasper to take Charlie, giving the vampires permission to let the venom spread. While Charlie burned, his only daughter remained in a coma at the Cullen's house, with a seemingly catatonic Edward at her side. It became apparent that after prolonged exposure to Edward's venom in smaller doses, Bella had grown immune and was unable to be changed by anyone sired by Carlisle. After experimentation by the doctor, Kate's venom was used to initiate the conversion, and Bella finally showed signs of awakening from her coma and was beginning the transition to vampire just as Charlie opened his eyes to life as a newborn.

Victoria's whereabouts were unknown after Mike declined to leave the area with the unstable nomad, but the wolves continued to look for her while the Cullens stayed close to their home, awaiting Bella's transformation and Charlie's adjustment to his new circumstances and limitations.

**Edward POV**

Screams of agony and writhing spasms of pain ripped through Bella's fragile body as she made the change from mortal to vampire. It was such a distinct contrast from the corpse-like silence and stillness that she had displayed in the long hours after I'd nearly drained her dry. Her immune system tried to fight off Kate's invading venom as it scorched its way through her tissues with painfully slow success. Throughout the night, Carlisle had to administer additional doses of both venom and drugs to combat the resulting allergic reaction that bloomed its way across Bella's pale but scarred skin.

In an attempt to be more humane, Carlisle finally gave Bella a dose of a sedative, hoping to bring her some kind of comfort. When she appeared to be resting and comfortable, he brought up the topic of allowing Charlie to visit with Bella for a while, just long enough that I could finally get some nourishment for myself. He thought there would be no inherent danger for anyone now that she no longer smelled human. Guilt wracked my chest like hot daggers, poking and prodding, stoking the intense flames of hunger until I could only take so much more. I couldn't bear the thought of leaving her side, but I also didn't dare put animal blood into my system yet—not when I was finally staying awake again.

In the end, I acquiesced and gave Charlie a half hour to sit with his daughter, but I didn't hunt. I merely sat in the hallway outside of our bedroom, unable to move further away…just in case.

One of the lessons that had stuck with me from my human life was a verse from the Bible. I had a fuzzy memory of my mother repeating the words to me. _The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak_. But in Bella's case, Jasper said he'd never seen someone resist the change so fiercely. And as for her mind…well, I could only hope that hers was still as willing to become one of us as she had always seemed in the past.

Bella's time as a living, breathing being was almost over now. Her rapid and erratic heartbeat fought hard for each heavy, wet pump in her chest, but soon it would be its last.

Please God, don't let this have been a horrible mistake…

**Jacob POV**

My skin crawled, but it was more than that. The feeling was bone deep, and the only way to scratch that itch would be to transform. To give in to my wolf would be to share my secrets with everyone, which was something I couldn't afford to do. The pack had to be suspicious because I hadn't shifted in days and I'd been patrolling alone the hard way—on two legs.

Already on my father's shit list, the inventory of my sins was too long in his eyes. I couldn't keep Bella Swan away from the leeches, Chief Swan was attacked by the crazy ginger blood sucker that was still on the loose (dear old Dad didn't know that Charlie was a vampire yet), and I failed to bring Bella back with me to the reservation when ordered to do so. That was just to name my latest failures…

_Might as well add another one to the long list of fuck ups,_ I thought as I killed the engine to my father's pickup outside of the Cullen's house. The head of the family appeared at the door wearing a stupid white scarf draped around his neck in the middle of summer. Carlisle smiled and waved as he approached, but it didn't make me feel even a tiny bit more at ease.

"Hello, Jacob. Thank you for coming."

"Sure. I won't say it's no problem." I knew that Carlisle understood me perfectly because I heard everything he'd said through the closed door along with the blare of a Mariners game from a television inside of the house, but I felt like more of an asshole for staying inside of the truck. He'd invited me to his land to ask a favor and I'd been able to trust him before, but with hesitation, I opened the door.

Carlisle's stony face remained serious. "Charlie has awakened and is asking for some of his belongings."

"If I know Charlie, he's demanding to go home."

That got a reaction out of Carlisle and he actually smiled. "Yes. Well, he wants to be near his daughter. We all want to stay close to home and away from innocent civilians for a few more days to make sure Victoria doesn't return to the area."

"There's been no trace of her on our land," I added and stepped out of the cab.

"And that's troubling. We can't sit around with a newborn vampire, especially one that is such a respected pillar of the community—which she sired—and expect nothing to happen."

"You think she'll try to come for Charlie?"

Carlisle wasted no time producing a slip of paper from his pants pocket. "I think Charlie's comfort is our bigger concern right now. Here's a list of what he would like you to procure from his house, if possible."

I didn't bother to read the piece of cream colored paper before cramming it into the back pocket of my jeans. "I'll head over there now." Turning to jump back into the pickup truck, the house grew silent when a phone began to ring somewhere inside. A too fast and uneven heartbeat pounded within the walls behind Carlisle. I recognized that same frantic pattern in Charlie when he'd been bitten by the red-headed demon. Now that Charlie would have no pumping heart because he was dead and exactly like the rest of these cold things, that only left Bella as the source. But that would mean…how? Had Victoria also attacked Bella and the Cullens didn't want to tell the pack about it?

The Cullen mom poked her head out the front door. "Phone for you, Carlisle."

I played dumb—acted like I didn't even hear Bella's poor body fighting for life just beyond those fancy, fragile walls of wood and glass. I just climbed into the truck, turned the key, and drove off toward Forks without a rearwards glance in Carlisle's direction.

With this new knowledge, there was certainly no way I could shift into my wolf form any time soon. I was so screwed.

Charlie's house was a bit sinister looking because it had been sitting closed up and quiet for a few days, especially with a side yard that was more dirt than grass with a menacing gloomy overcast sky threatening to pour down rain at any time. I pulled into the driveway beside Bella's ancient red truck, surprised that they actually left a vehicle here instead of keeping it out at the Cullen's estate or just junking it all together. It wasn't like they couldn't buy her a much nicer car; they obviously had the money to do so.

As I opened the driver's side door, the wind kicked up, blowing a few newspapers and plastic bags across the lawn in front of me as I walked towards the front porch. Charlie never allowed his yard to look like this, and he would definitely be embarrassed to see it in such a state. Luckily for me, Dad had a set of keys to the front door on this key ring so I didn't have to find my own way into the chief's house. That would have been tricky while the neighbors across the street and to the left were both working outside at the moment.

Grabbing the overflowing pile of mail that was shoved in the mailbox as I walked past, I tried three keys before finding the right one for the deadbolt. When I swung the door open, the overwhelming stench of vampire smacked me in the face. It definitely wasn't any of the Cullens; I recognized the revolting odor belonging to the red-eyed one that we were actively hunting. While I stumbled backwards onto the porch towards fresh air to gain control of myself, a shape bolted down the stairs and out the back door.

I had a split second to decide whether to pursue or flee as I ran back into the now empty house, slamming the front door behind me.

The wolf inside me screamed to follow the vampire and tear her limb from limb. My conscience warned that everyone would know all of my secrets as soon as I gave into the animal instinct.

The wolf won.

Sprinting through the house and launching myself off the top back step, I landed on four paws and tore off into the forest. Her scent was strong and her path through the trees was clear. How stupid was I for going after this one all by myself after she'd taken down two of my pack a few days before? Even several of her own kind couldn't pin her down, but then again, the Cullens seemed neutered—weak as far as blood drinkers went.

_Jacob? Finally, man. You helping out with patrolling now instead of being a pansy?_ Paul's angry and sarcastic words were unwelcome and uncontrollable as they rattled around inside my head now that I'd transformed.

_Found her inside Charlie's house. Chasing her now._ I pushed onward, following the stench deeper into the woods. Only the sound of my paws digging into the dirt and claws scraping against stones and fallen tree limbs could be heard. Was the evil one that far ahead of me?

Paul invaded my thoughts again. O_n my way. We aren't too far from you. They don't need me here right now. Negotiations are too full of useless talk and no killing._

What negotiations? I had no idea what Paul was talking about. There was no time to worry about that now; I was gaining on her as the smell grew stronger, so I surged forward.

**Carlisle POV**

Leaving Esme, Rosalie, and Alice to deal with Charlie wasn't my first choice, but I certainly wasn't going to meet the Quileutes with anyone but Emmett and Jasper in tow. Edward was essentially useless until Bella woke up as a vampire, which should happen at any time now. There was no way that I would bring Charlie along; he was just too volatile and unpredictable. And one sure fire way to set Billy Black's extreme hatred into overdrive would be by seeing his old friend as a newly transformed vampire.

"You've called us here, now what do you want to discuss?" I found it very hard to remain civil anymore. It was especially absurd how the leader had called me and demanded an immediate meeting in the middle of the woods. Emmett had asked "How did they even get the crotchety old dude out here with his wheelchair?" as we approached from our territory. Now I found myself wondering the same thing as he sat in the chair on the rugged terrain.

I'd addressed Billy Black from twenty feet away. His hard eyes regarded me coldly from his position in the center of the clearing where he was flanked by two tanned, muscled teenaged boys trying hard to look intimidating. Two more were in wolf form several feet back towards the pines.

"You will leave the area immediately. Never come back. If even one of you steps foot back here, you will break the treaty."

Who did he think he was? I did not take orders from anyone, except for Esme on occasion. "My family has coexisted peacefully with your tribe for decades. We have done nothing to prompt these demands. We will not bow to them."

I turned to walk away, Emmett and Jasper remaining in position facing the Quileutes as I passed between my sons with my head held high. We'd be gone from this area in a few days anyway, but I wouldn't let this small-minded man think that he had any power over us.

"The treaty has essentially been broken already." Billy's poisonous words were spat at my back and aimed to hurt.

I'd made it fifteen steps before turning around to ask for clarification. Did he somehow know about Bella? Maybe he was referring to Charlie. "I'm unaware of any violations of our treaty." Too many secrets, too many lies…

Mr. Black's lip curled up in a sneer. "The moment that Newton boy was turned into one of you last year in Cullen territory? If I had my way and we could amend it, the second that your boy looked at Bella Swan would have violated the agreement too."

"Michael's transformation into vampire was none of our doing. It was a nomad who made that mistake." Relief flooded through me. They didn't know that Bella was becoming a vampire because Edward had been drinking from her for months, leaving us no choice but to turn her. It didn't seem like he knew about Charlie either. Did this man ever speak with his son? No wonder Jacob did not have a problem helping us when I called on him.

"Doesn't matter in the eyes of the tribe. If I had my way and we could amend it, and the second that your boy looked at Bella Swan would have violated the agreement."

I fought to hold on to my composure, to keep my expression neutral. "Bella and Edward's friendship is not even addressed in the treaty, so it is not up for discussion."

The tension rolling off of Emmett was palpable. "Why don't you get to the point and stop wasting our time. Give us the Cliff's Notes version of what's got your panties in a wad."

"There has been a never-ending stream of different vampires coming through this territory in the last few years. Do you think that we haven't noticed? Even today, this Michael Newton was spotted with two new females."

The urge to destroy something grew quickly inside of me, and I was never one for violence. Billy Black was the most infuriating man I'd ever encountered. "What you saw were three people leaving the area, trying to draw Victoria out with them."

A high-pitched whine broke out of one dog's muzzle as he guarded the wheel chair bound man's right side, and all attention turned to the distressed shape shifter in that instant.

"Sam," Billy commanded. "Find out what's going on with Paul."

The oldest looking man turned away from the elder's side and approached the wolf, motioning for him to move behind a thick set of trees. But the air shimmered around muscled fur as the boy transformed back into a human on the spot, obviously not caring if his naked skin was in full view or not.

"Jacob found the rogue leech squatting in Charlie Swan's house." The boy practically vibrated with excitement as he spoke, and he made no effort to conceal the disdain he held for our kind. "There's more that you need to know, but Jake shouldn't try to catch her alone."

"Go," Sam said with a quick sweep of his arm, and the boy jumped into the air, landing on four furry legs and began running towards town.

"Your murderous little friend certainly hasn't followed anyone out of here," Billy said, his voice smug and sarcastic.

"Since Victoria has reappeared, we're going to get back to our home now—to protect our family." I turned to go, motioning for Emmett and Jasper to follow when heavy footsteps and breaking branches in the distance gave us pause.

"Sounds like the fight might be coming this way…" Jasper said.

I wasn't sure what was approaching us. As we waited with tense bodies prepared to attack, listening for any indication of what was coming, the footfalls grew closer and closer until it became clear by the cadence of steps that the pursuers were of the two-legged variety.

That information did nothing to relax everyone ready to coil in the defensive as we awaited the unknown in the forest straddling the treaty's borderline, no one daring to cross the invisible boundary line in this small clearing.

The familiar scents of our family members blew towards us with the wind, and Charlie burst out of the tree line with Esme, Rose, and Alice in hot pursuit.

Charlie was fast and I knew that he was one stubborn man before as a human. He hadn't changed much as an immortal so far.

When the chief skidded to a stop next to Emmett, Billy Black's eyes narrowed as his mouth tightened into a hard line. The women wisely stayed a distance behind us. My family outnumbered the Quileutes now.

"Sorry I'm late," Charlie said with a smile—one that showed too much teeth to be comfortable around people that weren't vampires. "The girls here didn't tell me about this meeting until it was already well under way."

And the "girls" were supposed to keep Charlie away from this meeting by taking him hunting. I briefly wondered which one had the loose lips.

While I looked to the women of my family—none of whom would make eye contact with me at the moment, the elder's incredulous voice caught my attention. "He's not a part of the original treaty. Neither are the other two males you brought with you for that matter."

"Let's be diplomatic here, Mr. Black," I said, looking at each of the members of his tribe that surrounded him. "None of the boys you brought with you were there for the signing of the treaty either." It wasn't hard to get technical with the details and play his games too.

"What's this all about, Carlisle? Billy?" Charlie's voice had dropped into the one he used as the police chief—commanding of respect. He wanted answers and he wanted them now.

The Quileute elder did not speak. Instead, he continued to stare at Charlie with distrust as if their years of friendship had ceased to exist because his old fishing buddy was now a vampire.

"He's demanding that we all leave the area immediately and never return."

Charlie's gaze scanned each member of the pack before settling on Billy. "Why? They're not hurting anyone."

"Not yet, you're not. You shouldn't be a vampire, Charlie. It's not right!"

"It was too late to do anything, Billy. Are you suggesting that these two should have murdered me instead of giving me a chance to keep on living?"

Mr. Black stared hard at his best friend, seeming to evaluate his new existence. "It ain't natural. The Charlie I knew is dead."

A deep growl burst forth from Charlie's throat, but he remained rooted in place. Jasper moved closer to Charlie and Emmett, no doubt positioning himself to help control the unpredictable newborn if necessary.

"I'm right here talking to you, old friend, so not dead _obviously_."

"You died the moment that leech sank her teeth into you. Now we are only enemies." Billy finally looked away from Charlie. "Everyone will mourn the loss of a great man when news of your untimely death spreads."

Charlie started forward, taking a few steps in the wolves' direction. He was met with vicious growls from the remaining wolf as it went to Billy Black's side. "The hell they will. I'm not dead and I better not catch anyone saying that I am."

"Guys," Emmett said, his voice a bit louder than necessary. "Fight about this shit later. Victoria is out in the open and on the run right this second. You're going to let only two measly wolves go after her?"

"What? What the hell are we doing standing around in the woods? We have to get back to Bella. Only Edward is left to protect her." Charlie gave a last glance towards Billy, pointing towards him as he turned to go. "We'll continue this discussion later."

"No, we won't, Charlie." Billy shook his head sadly. "I'm human, you won't be able to be around me again."

"What are you implying? That I'll eat you? You smell too good to talk to? After everything I've just heard come out of your mouth, you only smell like asshole right now." Charlie's red eyes were hard and fierce.

Once Charlie had said his peace, he ran into the forest towards our home with Esme, Rosalie, and Alice by his side.

Needing to get back, I had a few things to say to Billy too. "If your pack is successful in eliminating Victoria, please let me know. We will extend the same courtesy to you."

Billy simply nodded his head, and we left them in the clearing as we sprinted for home, hoping that everyone was safe and sound.

**Edward POV**

The body before me was silent and still. Her final heartbeat was ten minutes ago, but Bella had yet to open her eyes. I'd sat by her side, caressing her smooth, hardened skin and marveling at how different it felt now that it was the same temperature as my own body. My eyes kept focusing on the scars left from my teeth when I'd injected her with my venom. So many wounds, now immortalized on her skin forever. And they didn't even turn her…

Worry buried itself deep in my stomach, tentacles digging in and anchoring to my being. The transformation was complete. I entwined my fingers with hers and pressed my lips to the back of her hand. "Bella, love. Please wake up." Fear gripped me as I waited for a response from her, rendering me immobile.

There was no rise and fall of her chest, no fluttering of her pale eyelids, no movements of her creamy limbs, no sweet scent of her human blood left anywhere. Oh God, what if the venom didn't heal her brain? Somehow my throat tightened and I gasped for air as I began to panic. I let go of her and stumbled away from the bed. She wasn't healed. I killed her. Bella wasn't coming back to me…to us.

A wolf howled in the distance as I punched through the sheet rock wall, needing to hurt something—to destroy everything.

One of the large bedroom windows shattered inward while I'd turned my sorrow and rage on ripping the bathroom door from its hinges. I spun around as the overwhelming scent of vampire permeated the room. I didn't even hear her coming.

"Well, well, well, Edward," Victoria said, keeping close to the gaping maw that used to be a nearly floor to ceiling window. Her beady red eyes were so calculating. "Am I too late to kill your mate?"

I chose to remain silent, instead trying to sift through the crazy thoughts in her mind to see what she might do next as I inched closer to Bella's body.

"What's the matter? Dog got your tongue?" She raised an eyebrow and waited for me to answer.

I didn't take her bait.

"The mongrels thought they could best me, but I took care of them. Their supposedly enhanced sense of smell really isn't their best trait when there's too many fresh trails to follow, especially when they all lead into the same spot." A small smile ghosted her lips, showing a bit of her sharp white teeth.

It shouldn't be possible for me to feel cold, but a shiver traveled down my spine as she looked over Bella's lifeless form. I stepped in front of the bed, blocking her from Victoria as best as I could.

"Some people just aren't meant to be like us, you know." She took two steps towards me, that fake concern upon her face sickening me further. "Some are meant to be nothing more than _food_."

The mere mention of Bella being only sustenance was the spark to ignite the powder keg inside me. I launched myself at Victoria; her smug, superior expression turning to one of shock right before my shoulders slammed into her stomach.

Victoria was quick to twist and slide out of my grasp when I tried to pin her to the floor. Spinning around on my knees, I reached out and grabbed her calves, pulling her back down as she tried to reach Bella. But she kicked me in the face, breaking my hold on her limbs.

I collapsed to the ground, my left cheek fractured from the force of her foot impacting my eye socket. If only I had the strength to fight to my fullest ability. It had been so long since I'd properly fed. Anger would only get me so far after I'd wasted so much energy busting up this room already.

"Since your girl here…" Victoria said when she reached down and yanked my head up hard by my hair while she stepped on my back. Of course she would fight dirty. "…seems to be dead already. I guess I'll just have to kill you instead." At least we were closer to the door than the bed now where Bella lay, still lifeless.

I struggled to break free and pry her arms away from my neck before she could squeeze tighter. My only wish now as the pressure increased from Victoria's hold was that we were facing Bella so my beloved's face would be the last image I saw as I died. Not wanting to give up, I swept my hands along Victoria's sleeves, trying to find a place to pry her vise-like grip away from head.

Her arms were like pythons going in for the kill, coiling around and around to wait until there was no life left in me. "Stop struggling, Edward. You don't have anything to live for anymore, anyway."

Replying to her wasn't an option because she'd just crushed my larynx, leaving speech impossible. My reactions were sluggish and my body was knitting itself back together at an even slower pace since I was so starved of blood. Lightning bolts of pain raced through my neck as fractures breached the surface of my skin while Victoria continued to squeeze.

Inky darkness invaded the outside corner of my right eye, and soon it had overtaken my eyesight as I wondered where my family was, how I was left alone with no help. I waited for death to come swiftly, but the reaper was taking his time to collect me from this world.

Meanwhile, Victoria was enjoying my death. She found joy in the act of revenge. As she felt the fight drain away from my limbs, her maniacal laughter filled the room. Her jubilant cries decreased in volume when my hearing left just as my vision had deteriorated.

But her sounds were abruptly cut off, followed closely by a piercing metallic noise that marked the tearing of hard vampire skin and muscle, of sinew and bone ripping and shredding forcefully from a vampire's body. The grip of the arms around my neck relaxed a little, and I gasped for the breath I could finally take while my throat started to mend itself. Victoria's decapitated head fell onto the floor next to me with a heavy thud. Red lifeless eyes stared ahead, her mouth still open and turned upward as if laughing.

_What the hell just happened?_

The hair on the back of my neck stood on end when a small bare foot kicked the head away, embedding it in the wall across the room. I was instinctually scared of this vicious creature, and I didn't make any sudden movements to untangle myself from this headless body lest I meet the same fate as Victoria.

One of the arms still locked around my neck was savagely ripped away and dumped to the floor, followed by the other one. I still couldn't see who was freeing me, but I fled to the other side of the room as soon as I was let go.

I gasped at the sight before me, and I couldn't believe who had come to my aid.

Bella.

She was awake…and fierce. Her crimson eyes were taking in everything around her, evaluating every little thing in her environment.

"Bella?" My voice was a little hoarse, but it would come back fast. "You saved me."

The hospital gown she wore billowed in the breeze through the open window as she surveyed me now. "For some reason I hate red heads. She needed to be put down."

Bella's voice was different, deeper and silkier, with an edge of steel now. She turned her attention to the forest beyond the gaping hole of a window, and I worried that she would bolt and disappear on me.

"Victoria did need to be killed, but we still have to burn her before she's truly destroyed."

Bella held her arms out in front of her and began to inspect the rest of her transformed body. At least she seemed distracted enough that she wouldn't run from the house. We didn't have much time alone because I could hear the thoughts of my family and her father growing closer. It was only a matter of time before Bella heard their sprinting footsteps. Would she panic or remain calm?

"Do you remember who I am?" I kept my face impassive, but doubt ate at my throat like a million moths trying to escape out my mouth.

She stopped picking at the hospital gown, cleared the quizzical expression off her face, only to stare at me with an intense look. "Of course I do. You smell like home and love...you're mine."

My dead heart swelled in my chest and I smiled then, but I still didn't approach her. Who knew what her unpredictable newborn self was capable of? The pieces of that volatility were scattered around this broken room and awaiting a bonfire.

But I had faith that everything would be all right. Bella stood calm and relaxed, not reacting outwardly hostile as our family and her father gathered on the lawn outside the window. She even smiled when her father waved and said, "Welcome back, Bells."

I thought that everything was going to be just fine, after all. She was one of us now. And she said that I was hers. All was right with the world—at least in my small world, right then.

* * *

Just one more chapter to go. In the meantime, I beta'd for


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